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Male White-winged Scoter is glossy-black; wing-speculum and under-eye spot are white. Legs are red. Eyes are grayish-white. Specific features: adult male on base of bill have large outgrowth which top-end impend forward; nostrils are rounded (Velvet Scoter has narrow long nostrils); lores feathers close to nostrils less than 5 mm. Female is dark-brownish, belly is with whitish tips of feathers, speculum is white; on lores and on ear there are two large patches, paler than upperparts. Legs are dirty-yellow, bill grayish-brown, eyes are brownish. Juveniles are similar on female. Sizes: wing 250 – 290 mm, tarsus 45 – 52 mm, bill 40-50 mm.

Distribution

White-winged Scoter breeds on mountain lakes of Southern Altai, in Bukhtarma valley near Rakhmanovskiye springs, on lake at source of Bukhtarma river, in western Kara-Alakhinskoye uplands to Ukok plateau. One brood recorded at Kalbinskiy Altai, on lake in pine forest, in 1961 by I.A. Dolgushin. On Markakol lake only observed during seasonal migration.

Biology

White-winged Scoter is rare breeding migrant. Inhabits forested mountain lakes at 1760-2300 m. Appears end May - early June. One nest found near water under bush, in a hollow amongst moss lined with down. Clutches of 6-9 eggs in June - July. Only female incubates and cares for juveniles, recorded end July - early September. Males gather to moult on large mountain lakes. Autumn departure in October.

References

"Птицы Казахстана" том 1. АН КазССР. Алма-Ата, 1960. Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.