Common scoter  (Melanitta nigra)

The name Melanitta comes derives from the Greek for 'black duck' (4). Males have glossy black plumage with a patch of orange on the black bill and females are dark brown. Both sexes have short tails that point upwards as they swim (2). Common scoters tend to fly close to the sea in long lines or in small groups, when they produce a whistling call. They are usually seen along coasts, sitting on the water, appearing and disappearing from view as they dive under the water (2).