Common Scoter
Melanitta nigra
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl (Anatidae) · Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
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Often mixed up with
In quizzes, players most often confuse Common Scoter with these birds— either this species was picked by mistake, or the other way around.
| Species | Mix-ups |
|---|---|
| Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca | 99 |
| Black Scoter Melanitta americana | 64 |
| Greater Scaup Aythya marila | 18 |
| Common Eider Somateria mollissima | 14 |
| Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula | 12 |
Family
The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating on the water surface, and, in some cases, diving in at least shallow water.
Order
Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises 178 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which includes the other 174 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans. Most modern species in the order are highly adapted for an aquatic existence at the water surface. With the exception of screamers, males have penises, a trait that has been lost …