Melanitta nigra

Black scoters breed mainly in Scandinavia and Siberia. The species is marine when not breeding, and frequents shallow coastal waters, generally between 500m and 2km from the coast. They can dive to depths of up to 6 metres to catch shellfish. Black scoters migrate south to Western Europe in late summer, and are found staging and wintering all along the Atlantic-Channel-North Sea coast. Some sites, such as the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, host large gatherings every winter. Black scoters undergo a major postnuptial moult at moulting sites that may also be their wintering grounds from August or even late July. Some of the migrants passing through France winter off Spain or North Africa.

To discover areas of importance for wintering scoters along the French coastline, individuals are captured in winter directly at sea from a boat, in sheltered bays where the birds gather, such as the Brest roadstead. They are equipped with OT9-D GPS beacons, which are specially designed for diving, recording pressure and depth. These 11g beacons transmit data regularly via the 3G system, and are attached to the feathers on the bird’s lower back with special tape. The beacons fall off after a few weeks or months as the tape wears down or the feathers moult.

Migratory in France

Breeder in France

: Wintering in France