Breeding Common Scoters Melanitta nigra in Scotland’s Flow Country: a population in decline despite productivity being stable

Despite a significant 44% decline in the Common Scoter population across Britain and Ireland from 2002 to 2023, breeding productivity in Scotland’s Flow Country remained stable, averaging 0.44 large ducklings per female annually. This stability suggests that the population decline is not driven by local breeding conditions but likely occurs outside the breeding region. The study, which surveyed 32 breeding sites biannually over 22 years, found no correlation between higher productivity and increased breeding females in subsequent years. To address this decline, researchers recommend removing non-native forestry plantations to reduce predation pressure on ground-nesting species and maintaining lake habitat quality with shallow water and abundant invertebrates.

Hughes, R., Klein, D., Andersen, R., Anderson, R., Gullett, P. R., Littlewood, N., Martin-Walker, A., MacLennan, A., Pravia, A., Stagg, P., Bingham, C., & Hancock, M. H. (2024). Breeding Common Scoters Melanitta nigra in Scotland’s Flow Country: a population in decline despite productivity being stable. Bird Study, 71(3), 256–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2024.2384950