Scientific name: Melanitta nigra (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bird group: Ducks
Field characters. 44-54 cm. Male is the only duck that is entirely black; bill black but with yellow-orange patch around nostrils, extending onto knob at base of upper mandible. Female dark brown with whitish on sides of head and throat; crown dark; underparts brown-white; bill blackish. Juvenile more brownish than female; sides of head paler. Both sexes have uniform wing in flight, without bars.
Voice. Male has polysyllabic piping call, 'peu-peu-peu'; female utters hoarse growl, 'kr-r-r-r'.
Distribution. Fairly common breeding bird in northern Europe.
Habitat. In the breeding season, occurs on a variety of fresh waters; outside the breeding period predominantly marine.
Food. Food obtained by diving up to 6 m. In marine and brackish waters, takes mainly a variety of molluscs; in freshwater, diet includes mussels, pondsnails, insects and larvae, annelids, small fish and vegetable matter.
Eggs. Unmarked; ground colour cream/buff. Texture very smooth, moderately glossy. Shape subelliptical. Size 66 x 45 mm (59-72 x 42-47), weight 60-74 g.