Whilst this short note is not intended in any way to be an identification article the following points may be helpful to birders coming across male Lesser Scaups for the first time. Today we saw our first northern shovelers of the season (boldly colored ducks with enormous bills), and a belted kingfisher. The diet is composed mainly of clams. The barring does not appear to be spreading into the … Very similar to Lesser Scaup; note smoothly rounded head without tall peak, puffier cheeks, more extensive white stripe on wing in flight, and larger, broader bill. Mortality from collisions with power lines and wind turbines. Traditionally, lesser scaup (a.k.a. Size is one, as lesser scaup are about 20 percent smaller than greater scaup. 2009 March 29, Deborah Baldwin, “A Waterside Village With a Big-City Backdrop”, in New York Times‎: Or spot gaggles of Canada geese, ducks and scaups flying over schools of bluefish. For information on upcoming classes and events, please visit our … Females are brown with white patches around their blue bills. There are, however, a number of differences. A B Images B and C show the typical Lesser Scaup head shape with pointed rear crown and how head color can vary from purple to green gloss depending on angle. A closer look reveals black-and-white males and chocolatey-brown females floating on the surface and diving below to eat aquatic invertebrates and plants. Appearance. The Greater Scaup averages about 10% longer and 20% heavier than the Lesser Scaup. The male Greater Scaup in eclipse and male Lesser Scaup in eclipse have a much duller and brownish plumage. I am keeping a 2014 bird list (also available from the page links at the top of the blog). Greater Scaup Aythya marila. Greater and lesser scaups appear nearly identical in the field but they have some subtle differences. Gregarious in winter over large parts of the U.S., the abundant Lesser Scaup breeds primarily in boreal forest regions of Canada. Then a pop quiz of an unidentified Scaup species. 1) Seen at Burnaby Lake (Vancouver BC) on March 23rd 2019. Dr. Drew Lanham taught this Palmetto Pro Birder class for SCWF at Huntington Beach State Park in January, 2017. The Greater and Lesser Scaup can be difficult to distinguish in the field. Views: 288 S. SteveClifton Well-known member. The female also has a white semi-circle at the base of the beak. Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis. blue bill) have been one of the most abundant ducks in North America; however, over the last 20 years, the duck population has spiraled downward. Greater and lesser scaup are counted together, because they are difficult to distinguish during aerial surveys. Female scaup body condition has declined since the 1980’s, resulting in reduced reproductive success and population decline (Anteau and Afton 2004). The greater scaup is also slightly larger and has a flatter top of the head. Take your time to study it, and submit your answer in the comments section! Lesser vs Greater Scaup Took a run out and about today to see if the strong south winds we've been having for the last 24 hours brought anything new in to the area. Jan 29, 2015 #2 Not too much to go in these images except that the extensive dark around the nail/bill tip indicates a Tufted Duck. The Lesser Scaup has a peaked, angular head that the Greater Scaup lacks. Winter flocks on coastal bays may number in the thousands. Greater Scaup were noted on 14 of those checklists, with all but one checklist reporting a single bird. Greater scaups have a light band near the trailing edges of the wings runs almost to the tip, but in lesser scaups it runs only about half way. Lesser and greater scaup are counted together, because they are difficult to distinguish during aerial surveys. Over the years I have repeatedly heard that head color is a great way to separate the male scaup species; blue for Lesser Scaup (LESC) and green for Greater Scaup (GRSC). The third species is the New Zealand scaup (A. novaeseelandiae). This video is unavailable. BirdForum - The net's largest birding community, dedicated to wild birds In flight, the white stripe on the rear of the wing extends almost to the wingtip in the greater scaup and only halfway in the lesser scaup. Scaup populations have steadily declined since the 1980s. The Lesser has a peaked, angular head that the Greater lacks. Greater scaup is part of WikiProject Birds, an attempt at creating a standardized, informative and easy-to-use ornithological resource.If you would like to participate, visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks. LESSER VS. Comparison of Lesser and Greater Scaup Photos and text by David Roemer . The white wing stripe extends into the primaries. One Lesser in the third picture from above, I reckon? Drakes of both species appear similar from afar, with dark heads, white flanks, and gray backs. Wikipedia describes Lesser Scaups in this way: Adults are 38–48 cm (15–19 in) long, 41.7–43 cm (16.4–16.9 in) on average.