This possibly promotes synchronous surfacing, when groups are less likely to be kleptoparasitized than individual ducks due to the swamping effect. Immense rafts congregate in regions supporting extensive mussel beds. Hundreds of thousands winter in the coastal waters off British Columbia alone, and 200,000 scoters could consume about 43 tons of mussel meat daily. The most abundant wintering Pacific coast scoter, Surf Scoters favor shallow waters in bays, estuaries and river mouths. Even so, some winter inland, and the ducks can be fairly numerous on the Great Lakes.
Vagrants regularly appear in Europe.
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