Velvet Scoter Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)

The Velvet Scoter is a mainly black sea duck which has white patches on the rear of the wings and is a winter visitor and passage migrant to coastal waters around the UK.  They are fairly easy to identify due to the white patch just below their eyes, their yellow bills, light grey eyes, pink legs with black webbed feet.

Females can be distinguished by their dark brown colour and 2 circular patches of white on their heads. Females also have dark grey bills and red feet and legs.

Juveniles look similar to females except they have larger head patches and their breasts are lighter coloured. 

Keep reading to find out more about these interesting winter visitors. 

How Long Does A Velvet Scoter Live?

The lifespan of the Velvet Scoter is around 10 to 12 years. With 8 years being the average life expectancy.

They typically become sexually mature and start breeding at around 2 years of age.

How Fast Can A Velvet Scoter Fly?

When in flight, Velvet Scoters fly low and fast and can reach speeds of around 45 mph (72 km/h) or around 20 metres per second. They take off by running along the surface of the water using combined wing and foot propulsion.

During their migrationary journeys, Velvet Scoters typically use wind speed and thermal air currents to help them cover the relatively long distances between their breeding grounds and wintering grounds.

Are Velvet Scoters Aggressive?

Velvet Scoters are not generally considered to be aggressive birds. They prefer open water and are known for their diving ability in order to gather food.

They are also fairly social birds and often found in relatively large flocks (outside of the breeding season). Male Velvet Scoters often display some sort of territorial or protective behaviour around their nests in order to protect their mates, the eggs and the chicks.

This protective aggression is common among many bird species and is not considered to be a sign of an aggressive nature. Generally speaking, Velvet Scoters are not known for their aggressive behaviour around other birds or humans apart from protecting their breeding grounds.

What Is A Velvet Scoter’s Habitat?

Velvet Scoters breed in areas of Scandinavia, Estonia, Siberia and kazakhstan. With small numbers also breeding in Armenia, Georgia and parts of Turkey.

They prefer lakes and large bodies of water as well as pools in forests and Arctic tundra. They also breed in wooded and rocky shores around the Baltic sea and upland lakes.

As a passage bird, the Velvet Scoter can be seen in estuaries as well as on freshwater lakes and reservoirs. They typically winter in coastal waters with a small number found on inland lakes.

How Long Does It Take For A Velvet Scoter To Build A Nest?

It generally takes around 3 to 7 days for a Velvet Scoter to build a nest. There are several factors that can influence the duration of nest building which include; how experienced the female is and the availability of suitable nesting materials.

The female selects the site which is typically a well hidden spot like an area of dense vegetation or on the ground close to water. The female builds a scrape nest by scraping away the surface of the ground with her feet and moulding it into shape using her body.

She then lines this shallow depression with grass, leaves and other plant material as well as down feathers which she plucks from her own body. The size of the nest can vary but is always large enough to fit the female and her eggs and subsequent chicks, 

The nests are usually well hidden as well as insulated enough to protect both the eggs and chicks.

Eggs

Once she is satisfied with the nest, the female will move onto the next stage in the reproductive cycle which is the egg laying stage.

When Do Velvet Scoters Lay Eggs?

The female Velvet Scoter will lay her eggs somewhere between early May and the end of June. The exact egg laying timings can vary due to climatic and environmental factors.

However, the weather conditions and temperature are generally favourable during May and June for egg laying to commence.

How Many Eggs Does A Velvet Scoter Lay?

The female will typically lay 7 to 9 eggs in her shallow scrape nest. It is at this point that the female and her eggs are at their most vulnerable from predators.

With many females and eggs being lost to minks and other small mammals.

What Do Velvet Scoter Eggs Look Like?

The eggs of the Velvet Scoter are a creamy white colour and are around 72 x 48 mm in size. Each egg weighs around 92 grams of which 8% is shell.

The female will only lay one brood each season as the energy needed to make the nest, lay the clutch of eggs and incubate the eggs takes its toll on her. She will need the rest of the summer and autumn to build up her strength for the return flight to the wintering grounds.

How Long Do Velvet Scoter Eggs Take To Hatch?

The eggs are incubated solely by the female and incubation starts after the last egg has been laid. The eggs are covered in downy feathers when the female leaves the nest for feeding purposes.

They are incubated for around 27 to 28 days before hatching. The male leaves soon after the incubation period begins.

Chicks

The next stage in the lifecycle of the Velvet Scoter happens after the eggs hatch. In this section we’re going to look at the chicks of the Velvet Scoter.

How Many Chicks Does A Velvet Scoter Have?

It is widely estimated that anywhere between 30 to 50% of all Velvet Scoter chicks will not survive to the fledgling stage of development. With many eggs not hatching at all and of those that do only around 30 to 50% will survive, this means that out of an average of 6 eggs, typically around 2 to 3 will survive to the fledgling stage.

The survival rate of eggs to chicks depends on a number of external factors including; predation, typically mammals or gulls will steal eggs and chicks, adverse weather conditions can also affect the survival rate of chicks and eggs.

Another important factor is the availability of enough food to support the female and her chicks. The other cause of the decrease in population size of Velvet Scoters is the human element.

Overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction and the building of offshore wind farms can all affect the survival rate of Velvet Scoter chicks.

When Do Velvet Scoter Chicks Open Their Eyes?

Velvet Scoter chicks are precocial which means they are born covered in down and with their eyes open. This is an important survival trait as it means they can leave the nest almost immediately after hatching.

They become independent at around the age of 30 to 40 days and then learn to fly at around 50 to 55 days.

When Do Velvet Scoter Chicks Fledge?

Velvet Scoter chicks tend to fledge or start to fly at around the age of 50 to 55 days. At this point they have developed their flight feathers and enough muscle mass to be able to lift themselves off the surface of the water and take flight.

SEE ALSO: Temminck’s Stint Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging

Frequently Asked Questions