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White-winged Scoters were found in 31 squares on lakes across the boreal forest and in south central Saskatchewan. The largest concentrations were observed in two disparate locations, with groups observed in sheltered bays and adjacent lakes on Lake Athabasca, and at Lone Tree Lake near Morse in the southern part of the province. Breeding was confirmed by the presence of downy young at Lone Tree Lake in 2019, which hosted at least 24 White-winged Scoters that year, on the south end of Green Lake, as well as on the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park representing the only detection made on a river.

Note: During all years of the Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas drought conditions persisted and the Atlas range maps for all waterfowl, waterbirds, and wetland-associated species should be viewed as characteristic of distribution and abundance during dry conditions. Read the full drought statement here.

Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:

Despite being the largest of the scoters, and the species most likely to be seen in Saskatchewan, the White-winged Scoter remains unfamiliar to many birders. In spring and fall, "large flocks congregate well out on lakes ... and rarely come near shore. Sometimes small flocks can be seen pattering across the waves in a strenuous effort to lift their heavy bodies off the surface? (Eric Woodsworth in Leighton et al. 2002). These birds nest on freshwater lakes and wetlands in boreal forest in the northwestern interior of North America and overwinter on both coasts (Brown and Fredrickson 1997).

White-winged Scoters most commonly breed on highly saline lakes in the parklands and on freshwater lakes in the boreal forest. Most migrating birds are seen on large deep-water lakes.

White-winged Scoters are fairly common only in west-central Saskatchewan, uncommon in the north and east, and rare and local breeders in the grasslands (Smith 1996). The breeding distribution has retracted northward, abandoning most of southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, the population declining by 65% between the 1950s and 1998 (Trost 1998). Estimates of breeding hens at Redberry Lake declined from over 400 in the mid-1970s to fewer than 100 by 2000; moderate increases then occurred until coyotes took over the largest island (Alisauskas et al. 2004).

Original text by Alan R. Smith. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky

Read more about the White-winged Scoter in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.

LeeAnn M. Latremouille

Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. White-winged Scoter in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=WWSC&lang=en [14 Nov 2025]