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White Winged Scoter

- Heavy black duck

- White wing patch seen in flight, often concealed when swimming

- Male has white "teardrop" below eye

- Bill orange with black knob at base

- Female sooty with two white patches on each side of face.

Black Scoter

- Entirely black plumage

- Bright orange/yellow knob on bill (nicknamed "butternose")

- In flight underwing shows two-toned effect

- Female sooty in color, light cheeks contrast with dark head

King Eider

- Stocky, smaller than Common Eider

- On water foreparts appear white, rear parts appear black

- Large white wing patch

- Orange bill and large orange bill shield, appearing to be knob-like on forehead.

- Thin white line running thru eye and down side of head

- Female golden brown in color, gray bill, no bill shield.

Surf Scoter

- All black plumage, except for two white spots on head (nicknamed "Skunkhead")

- Bill patterned with orange, black & white

- Female light brown with two pale white patches on face

Harlequin Duck

- Strikingly patterned, bold colors

- Male slaty gray in color with chestnut sides, white facial crescent, patches & spots

- White ring around neck and white wing stripe

- In flight appears uniformly dark

- Female dusky brown with three round white spots on each side of head, no wing patch.

Long Tailed Duck

- Formerly called "Oldsquaw"

- Only Sea Duck to combine a lot of white on the body with unpatterned dark wings.  Striking black & white plumage.

- Male is actually less striking in color when in breeding color;  dark head, dark chest & back, white sides with white cheek patch.  In non-breeding color almost all white with black cheek patch.

- Needle-like, long tail gives duck it's name.

- Pinkish bill color

- Female lacks pink bill and has less white in winter colors.

Common Eider

- Large Sea Duck, bulky & thick-necked

- Only duck in our area with black belly and white back

- Head white with black crown, greenish nape

- Long flat head profile, yellow bill color extending to base of eye

- Female rich brown or gray/brown, closely barred with same head profile

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