The common scoter is a sea duck that winters in large rafts offshore around the British coast, with welfare affected by offshore energy development, oil spills, and the bivalve prey availability on which it depends.
Common scoter welfare is threatened by oil spills that coat feathers and destroy waterproofing, causing hypothermia and death. Offshore wind farm construction displaces birds from established feeding areas, forcing energy-costly movements to alternative sites that may have less abundant prey. Depletion of inshore bivalve beds through commercial harvesting reduces food availability. The sensitivity to disturbance makes the species particularly vulnerable to cumulative impacts from multiple offshore developments.