V3501

Migratory Bird

Black Scoters

Spring 2025 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 22 V3501 — Federal Migratory Duck — Black Scoter — 7-1-02

This is the first time a Black Scoter was ever featured on a Federal Duck Stamp. These unusually colored ducks nest in the Arctic regions of Alaska and Canada and winter along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the U.S. The male is a shiny black except for an orange-yellow knob on its upper bill and the silver under-surface of its wings. The female is a grayish brown with light patches on the throat and cheeks. The Black Scoter is a beautiful sea duck and is the only all-black duck in North America. Because its bright orange-yellow bill contrasts so sharply, colloquial names such as "Butter Bill," "Yellow Bill," and "Yellow Nose" have come into use. The firstclass requirement for these covers was met with the John Audubon stamp which portrays the scarlet tanager and the red tanager. Those vivid songbirds contrast nicely with the Black Scoter.