LC
Common Scoter Melanitta nigra



Family: Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, Swans)

Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758)

Red List Category

Click here for more information about the Red List categories and criteria

Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). There are conflicting data on the species's population trend, but until wider survey data are available the species is regarded as not declining sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern. If surveys do not locate the numbers that appeared to be missing from the Baltic Sea in recent years (2007-2009), this species is likely to qualify for uplisting.

Population size: 1070000 mature individuals

Population trend: unknown

Extent of occurrence (breeding/resident): 12,000,000 km2

Country endemic: no


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Common Scoter Melanitta nigra. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/common-scoter-melanitta-nigra on 26/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 26/12/2024.