101 
This is the commonest Scoter throughout the southern parts of western 
Canada. Though it breeds on the prairies from the southern boundary 
northward it is still an interesting problem where the vast numbers of 
Scoters that frequent the British Columbia coast at all seasons build their 
nests. Much more information is desired on this point. 
166. Surf Scoter, bottle-nosed diver, skunk-head. Oidemia persjricillata. L, 
20. Adult male: an all-black Scoter with greatly swollen, highly-coloured bill and two 
sharply-defined triangular white patches on head; 
one on the forehead, the other on nape and back 
of neck (Figure 138). 
Female : light brown, lightening on cheeks and 
below, and a more or less well-defined dark cap. 
Distinctions. The male with its solid black- 
ness and two white head patches is easily recog- 
nized. The bill is unique. The base is much 
swollen at the sides behind the nostrils, and on 
this extruded surface is a sharply-defined, irregular 
spot of black surrounded with white which shades 
into yellow towards the tip and into red on the 
culmen. 
The female resembles the female American 
Scoter except that the lightness of the cheeks is 
usually broken into two vague spots. The best 
characteristic for separation of any plumage of the 
featheration of bill; the feathers of crown extending a considerable distance down the 
culmen instead of cutting off squarely at the forehead (compare Figure 138 with 137). 
Field Marks. Under some conditions, rather difficult to distinguish from the American 
Scoter. The lack of white wing spots separates it easily from the White-winged. The 
peculiar bill coloration and the white spots on forehead and nape are distinguishable at 
a considerable distance. The nape spot, however, is not permanent; the white feathers 
composing it are shed at times, leaving an area of black down in its place, discernible on 
close examination from the surrounding blackness by its velvety texture. 
The female is probably not separable under ordinary conditions from the female 
American Scoter. The species is, however, identifiable in flight by the loud whistling 
made by its wings, audible at times when in flock for half a mile or more. 
Nesting. In grass, near water. 
Distribution. Across the continent, more common on the seacoasts than inland. 
Apparently it nests in the forest area north of the prairies in Mackenzie and Alaska, but 
substantiated breeding records are few, and there are none at all for British Columbia. 
Like some other Ducks it is often present in large numbers throughout the summer, off 
Vancouver Island coast where thousands may be seen, without signs of nesting. This is 
an excellent example of presence in nesting season being insufficient evidence for breeding; 
records. 
167. Ruddy Duck. Erismatura jamaicensis. L, 15. A rather small Duck. Breeding 
male: rufous-chestnut on flanks, back, and neck. Below, white with a peculiar grebe-Uke 
silvery sheen vaguely cross-barred with brown, becoming 
more pronounced oh the breast. The crown is covered 
with a black cap and the face and chin are pure white. 
The bill is a bright sky blue (Figure 139). The bill 
colour fades after breeding season, but the vestiges of the 
ruddy breast persist through the autumn. The female is a 
brownish bird, lighter below, with the same silvery sheen 
as the male. The cap is brown and the face with a vague 
light spot broken by a faint dark streak from the gape 
back over the ears. 
Distinctions. The red male with contrasting black 
and white head is very distinctive. The female is in plain 
browns without sharply characterized markings anywhere. 
She closely resembles the female Buffle-head, but has no 
white wing spot, is not as white below, and the face 
mark is less distinct and of different pattern (See Figure 130, page 95). She has 
an even closer resemblance to the female Harlequin, but with different face pattern (&ee 
Figure 139 
Ruddy Duck; scale, 1. 
Female Male 
Figure 138 
Surf Scoter; scale, J. 
Female Male 
Surf from the American Scoter is the 
