Black Scoter (Melanitta nigra), Upper Lake Mary, Coconino County

These Black Scoters were discovered and photographed by Eric Hough on 22 November 2009 close to the dam at Upper Lake Mary.

The rarest of the three scoter species in Arizona with fewer than 10 accepted records for the state. 

All three birds were females, possibly adults given the contrast between the pale face and the dark neckline.

22 November 2009, photo by Eric Hough