Guide

Go seeBirds

Sea ducks on the winter ocean

December to March

Common eiders, scoters and long-tailed ducks spend the winter on open saltwater off the Massachusetts coast, diving for mussels, clams and small crustaceans. Look for flocks floating offshore, best seen with binoculars from a beach, jetty or headland.

Why this time of year

Winter is when these northern ducks sit offshore, and most male ducks are back in their brighter breeding plumage. Almost any exposed ocean view can show them.

How to notice it

  1. Pick a spot with a long open view of the sea, such as a beach, jetty or headland, and scan the water beyond the waves with binoculars.
  2. Look for flocks sitting low on the water, then watch for birds that vanish in a quick dive and pop up again.
  3. Tell the groups apart: big, heavy-bodied eiders, scoters, and ducks whose males have long, slender tails (long-tailed ducks).
  4. Listen for flocks of long-tailed ducks, whose loud calls carry over the water.

Try this with kids: Count how long one duck stays underwater before it bobs back up. What do you think it found down there?

Phrase to know: “Sea ducks” are ducks that spend winter on open ocean water and dive for shellfish.

Safety

  • Dress for cold wind off the ocean.
  • Stay off wet or icy jetty rocks and keep well back from breaking waves.

Sources

  • massaudubon.orgMass Audubon: sea ducks such as Common Eider, Harlequin Duck, three scoters and Long-tailed Duck on open saltwater in winter; eiders and scoters take mussels and clams off the bottom, Long-tailed Ducks prefer small crustaceans, snails; winter and early spring; almost any exposed ocean view offers opportunities. By late fall and winter the majority of waterfowl species return to their bright breeding plumages.
  • massaudubon.orgMass Audubon: Black, Surf and White-winged scoters and Common Eiders in winter; binoculars or spotting scope help; rare to see close to shore; dress warm for cold wind off the ocean.
  • massaudubon.orgMass Audubon Long Pasture: Long-tailed Duck and Common Eider as winter waterfowl; eiders in enormous flocks, dive for mussels and mollusks. The long-tailed duck's namesake is the male's long, slender tail feathers.
  • audubon.orgAudubon: migrates relatively late in fall, leaves early in spring; flocks of hundreds; calls audible from some distance; eats mollusks and crustaceans.
  • audubon.orgAudubon: feeds especially on mussels and other bivalves; floats offshore in flocks; New England in winter range. A big, heavy-bodied duck; floats offshore in flocks.

Checked against these sources on October 9, 2026.

In the guide for December, January, February, March

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