Tag: White-winged Scoter

Surf Scoter

January 8, 2026

Scoters are stocky seaducks typically found in the far north of Europe, Asia, and North America. You wouldn’t expect to find one in Arkansas. Yet, every winter, we get rare sightings of three types of scoters: Black, White-Winged, and Surf.

Earlier this week, I finally saw my first Surf Scoter. It means I’ve finally seen and photographed all three scoters within the state. I first photographed Black Scoters in November 2024, while I discovered a White-winged Scoter in Jonesboro in February 2014.

Black Scoter
White-winged Scoter

Surf Scoters have been on my bucket list of birds to spot for a while. Mainly because one was always spotted when I couldn’t get away. While there have been over 97 reported sightings of Surf Scoters in Arkansas since April 1966, typically, only one or two are spotted each winter.

This year seemed to follow the same pattern. The Surf Scoter pictured above was spotted before Christmas in Northwest Arkansas. Between work and personal obligations, I didn’t have the time to make the 2.5-hour one-way trip. Luckily, it was still there two weeks later when I was able to go.

White-winged Scoter

January 3, 2022
White-winged Scoter

A white-winged Scoter was the first rare bird I have ever found. White-winged Scoters are large sea ducks that can hold their breath for a minute or more as they dive deep underwater for food. In the winter, they are found along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They are typically found in the upmost part of the United States and most of northern Canada and Alaska.

My bird was found on February 9, 2014, at Craighead Forest Park. Interestingly, it was not the first white-winged scoter found in Arkansas that year. Several others were found across the state in Northwest Arkansas.