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Surf scoter
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=== Diet and foraging === The surf scoter mainly feeds on [[benthic]] invertebrates. During the breeding period, surf scoters forage in pairs or small groups on a diverse range of freshwater invertebrates. However, the sea ducks feed on marine organisms for the rest of the year, in flocks ranging from a few individuals to several thousands birds. Important foods include crustaceans, herring spawn, gastropods and small bivalves such as mussels.<ref name="Palmer"/><ref name="Johnsgard"/> In late winter and spring, Surf scoters tend to shift their diet according to the relative profitability of the food, showing a level of opportunism.<ref name="Anderson">{{cite journal|last1=Anderson|first1=Eric M.|last2=Lovvorn|first2=James R.|title=Contrasts in energy status and marine foraging strategies of white-winged scoters (''Melanitta fusca'') and surf scoters (''M. perspicillata'')|journal=The Auk|date=2011|volume=128|issue=2|pages=248β257|doi=10.1525/auk.2011.10088|s2cid=36679056|doi-access=free}}</ref> For example, they start feeding in seagrass beds, on epifaunal crustaceans that have increased in size over winter<ref name="Anderson1">{{cite journal|last1=Anderson|first1=Eric M.|last2=Lovvorn|first2=James R.|title=Seasonal dynamics of prey size mediate complementary functions of mussel beds and seagrass habitats for an avian predator|journal=Marine Ecology Progress Series|date=25 October 2012|volume=467|pages=219β232|doi=10.3354/meps09943|url=https://www.int-res.com/articles/meps2012/467/m467p219.pdf|access-date=10 October 2017|bibcode=2012MEPS..467..219A|doi-access=free}}</ref> or on [[Pacific herring]] eggs (''Clupea pallasi''), during the fish spawning.<ref name="Lewis">{{cite journal|last1=Lewis|first1=Tyler L.|last2=Esler|first2=Daniel|last3=Boyd|first3=W. Sean|title=Foraging behaviors of surf scoters and white-winged scoters during spawning of Pacific herring|journal=The Condor|date=2007|volume=109|issue=1 |pages=216β222|url=https://www.sfu.ca/biology/wildberg/papers/LewisetalAuk08.pdf|access-date=10 October 2017|doi=10.1650/0010-5422(2007)109[216:fbossa]2.0.co;2}}</ref> As the prey landscape changes, surf scoters will adjust their foraging effort and habitat selection. Effort is lowest in December, due to high prey abundance, and it increases until mid-February, when prey declines. It increases again in March, probably due to the increasing daylight time for foraging. As the season progresses, surf scoters move to habitats with lower prey declines, instead of staying in habitats poor in prey and increasing their foraging effort.<ref name="Kirk">{{cite journal|last1=Kirk|first1=Molly K.|last2=Esler|first2=Daniel|last3=Boyd|first3=Sean W.|title=Foraging effort of surf scoters (''Melanitta perspicillata'') wintering in a spatially and temporarily prey landscape|journal=Canadian Journal of Zoology|date=2007|volume=85|issue=12|pages=1207β1215|doi=10.1139/Z07-105|s2cid=19237705}}</ref> A surf scoter usually captures its food underwater and consumes it whole. They have been observed to select smaller bivalves than those available, probably because of the energy cost of processing shell matter. They also seem to select slow-swimming epifaunal crustaceans.<ref name="Anderson1"/> Surf scoters consume smaller prey that are located in complex habitat such as mussel beds, which makes them use more visual cues than their congeneric white-winged scoters. They may also visually locate siphons formed by infaunal bivalves to capture them. Gut analysis demonstrated a strong ability to avoid ingesting vegetation while feeding on attached herring eggs.<ref name="Anderson1"/><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Anderson|first1=Eric M.|last2=Lovvorn|first2=James R.|last3=Wilson|first3=Matthew T.|title=Reevaluating marine diets of surf and white-winged scoters: Interspecific differences and the importance of soft-bodied prey|journal=The Condor|date=2008|volume=110|issue=2|pages=285β295|doi=10.1525/cond.2008.8458|s2cid=86840303|doi-access=free}}</ref> Flocks of surf scoter appear to dive in a highly synchronous fashion and this synchrony is correlated with the group size.<ref name="Beauchamp">{{cite journal|last1=Beauchamp|first1=Guy|title=Diving behavior in surf scoters and Barrow's goldeneyes|journal=The Auk|date=1992|volume=109|issue=4|pages=819β827|jstor=4088156|doi=10.2307/4088156}}</ref> Dive duration vary with many factors such as prey type, density and profitability, season<ref name="Lewis"/> and water depth. <ref name="Anderson"/> Surf scoters increase their dive duration when they are feeding on herring spawning, which are harder to capture than sessile bivalves.<ref name="Lewis"/> [[File:Surf Scoter with crab.JPG|thumb|right|With crab]] Adult scoters of this species dive for [[crustacean]]s and [[mollusc]]s, while the ducklings live off any variety of freshwater [[invertebrate]]s.
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