UK Wildlife

Velvet Scoter Rare Winter Visitor

The velvet scoter is a scarce winter visitor to UK coasts, distinguished from common scoter by its white wing patches and reddish bill, vulnerable to multiple marine threats.

Key Facts

Velvet scoter has distinctive white wing patches visible in flight
UK wintering population only around 2,500-5,000, mainly in Scottish waters
Breeds in boreal forest and tundra zones from Scandinavia to Siberia
Dives for large bivalves and crustaceans in coastal waters
European populations have declined significantly in recent decades

Welfare Considerations

Velvet scoter face threats from oil pollution, by-catch, and changes in marine invertebrate availability. The European breeding population decline has reduced numbers wintering in UK waters. Marine protected areas help safeguard key wintering sites.

What You Can Do

Support marine conservation in key scoter wintering areas off Scottish coasts
Advocate for by-catch reduction in demersal fisheries used by diving ducks
Record velvet scoter through coastal surveys to track this scarce visitor