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Species › Birds

Common Scoter

Melanitta nigra

Order
Anseriformes
Family
Anatidae
Presence in the Strait
Seasonal
Abundance
scarce
IUCN (global)
LC · Least concern
In Spanish
Negrón común

42% of its open observations in the area are from November.

Photograph: Griha Hasanov, CC BY, vía iNaturalist

Length
44–54 cm
Wingspan
79–90 cm
Weight
950–1,100 g
020406080100LENGTH44–54 cmWINGSPAN79–90 cmcentimetres

Presence in the Strait

Scarce pelagic winter visitor.

Identification

Male is all dark with paler primaries. Female is similar to a female Red-crested Pochard but darker and is found in a different habitat.

Movements

There are records of birds in the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar from July to May, most usually between September and April, with peaks in November and February.

Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.

Gallery

Photographs from iNaturalist observations with the licence checked file by file. Those marked “Strait” were taken within the area; place and date are those of each observation.