The rarest of the three species of scoter that have been found in the Pribilofs, there are 10+ local records with the majority of sightings during mid-late May, which is to be expected for a diving duck. It is quite possible that this species appears more regularly during late fall, winter, and early spring amongst the flocks of Black and White-winged Scoters (Melanitta americana and fusca), which winter locally in numbers larger than is seen during the typical May-October observation period.
