Appearance:

Summer: Red throat (seemingly black at a distance!). Lacks white vertical framing of throat patch and white spotted back of Black-throated Diver. Winter: Quite pale. White face and eye-ring. Just a narrow stripe of dark grey along the back of the neck. In all plumages best identified by posture and silhouette, especially when seen at a distance. Slender neck, head and bill. Flat chest. Usually shows no white flank patch. Bill usually held uptilted.

Sound:

In flight; nasal, dry, gooselike series of rhythmic cackling "ko-ko-ko". Most vocal when courting and breeding. A meowing drawn-out sound starting with a register break, then falling in pitch. Display call a far reaching rolling cyclic cooing, given in long sequences.

Song/display:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Lauri Hallikainen, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Slightly smaller than Eider. Male at close range unmistakable. At a distance the black back is diagnostic. Female similar to female Eider, but feathering on bill is not reaching nostrils, giving the bird a peculiar "smile". Head shape is less triangular with a steeper forehead, and nail of bill is black. V-shaped barring on flanks.

Sound:

Male: Calls similar to Eider but easily distinguished by the vibrating quality. A "aaaooooooh" (shorter in duration than Eider) Starting on a low note, slowly ascending and ending on a descending note with a distinct vibrato/pulse. Often in the form of three calls: "oohh, a-ohhh hahahaoohohohoh". Usually accompanied by the female "ga ga ga ga".

Display-calls:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Andrew Spencer,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license