Velvet Scoter

🔍 Overview

A bulky sea duck seen off the Sussex coast in winter, usually among flocks of Common Scoter. Scarce passage migrant and winter visitor along the coast; rare inland.

🪶 Key Identification Features

All-black plumage (male)

Distinct white wing flashes in flight

Female duller brown with faint face patches

🗺️ Habitat & Distribution

Best viewed from Worthing Beaches, Goring Gap, Brighton Marina, and Widewater & Lancing Beaches in November–May. Watch during offshore sea-watching conditions.

🎶 Voice & Behaviour

Silent in winter. Feeds by diving for molluscs and crustaceans, sometimes in large, distant rafts.