The third species is the New Zealand scaup (A. novaeseelandiae). They both form flocks that number in the hundreds or thousands. Originally published December 10, 2016. by Greg Hanisek, editor of The Connecticut Warbler Where To Find Them: Both species can be found in saltwater and freshwater, although neither is numerous on freshwater in Connecticut. The Lesser Scaup has a narrower, taller head and, as the name indicates, is smaller in size averaging 16.5 inches in length as opposed to 18 inches for the Greater Scaup. It takes a lot of experience and skill to correctly ID the less common Greater Scaup.Lesser Scaup are more wide spread and far more common in many parts of the country. Females are brown, with characteristic white patches around the base of the bill. These giant groups can be seen side by side on the water, but they hardly intermingle. The black tip of the bill on the Greater Scaup seems fairly wide. At this time of year, any lake, reservoir or gravel pit should host this species, as well as its frequent companion, Common Pochard. This is also borne out in Minnesota eBird records for the two: lesser scaup vs. greater scaup. However , the head shape of the drake looks more like a greater to me. Males have black breast, medium gray back, white sides, and yellow eye. Salt water, Quebec Coast, June. immature females). See more ideas about Waterfowl, Duck hunting, Birds. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. The white at the base of the bill of a Ring-necked Duck can be very similar to the same area on a scaup. The head of the Lesser Scaup can also appear to have a greenish hue. The Lesser shows an almost small tuft near the back of the head, which can be seen on some males. The sides and back of the Greater average paler than the Lesser, but in these two birds the Lesser Scaup has a cleaner appearance, so use this mark with great discretion.4. The Greater Scaup averages about 10% longer and 20% heavier than the Lesser Scaup. The black nail on the bird on the right (tip of the bill) is narrow, perhaps indicating a Lesser Scaup. Here are two additional female scaup. 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). Head appears black with a greenish sheen in good lighting, never purplish. In January I wrote a blog about greatest scaup. 2. The devilishly similar Greater Scaup often joins the group too, but the Lesser Scaup wears a tiny peaked hat that sits towards the back of the head, unlike the Greater Scaup's rounded head. When they are resting it is sometimes easier to see the more rounded head of the Greater Scaup compared to the peak on the back of the head of the Lesser Scaup. Originally published December 10, 2016. by Greg Hanisek, editor of The Connecticut Warbler Where To Find Them: Both species can be found in saltwater and freshwater, although neither is numerous on freshwater in Connecticut. The Greater and Lesser Scaup can be difficult to distinguish in the field. The bill is bluish with a hard-to-see broad black nail at the tip, which is much wider than that of the lesser scaup. Scaup Greater Vs. The male Greater Scaup in eclipse and male Lesser Scaup in eclipse have a much duller and brownish plumage. greater scaup (aythya marila) female duck in flight in presquile provincial park, brighton, ontario, canada - greater scaup duck stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images . Lesser scaup females … Scaup populations have steadily declined since the 1980s. There have been scaup present, and I have believed that they were all greater scaups. Lesser Scaup males vying for a female’s attention . Take comfort in the fact that correctly picking a Greater Scaup out from a group of Lesser Scaup might be next to impossible. They look remarkably similar to the Lesser Scaup, with only slight differences in head shape: the Greater Scaup has a rounded head, the Lesser Scaup a peaked head. The male Lesser appears about 10% smaller than its flock-mates and shows duller grayish-tinged flank than the adult male Greaters. Leave a Reply Cancel reply. That is a good feature of Greater Scaup (esp. When viewed from the front, the greater scaup has a more triangular, broader head compared to the narrower head of the lesser scaup. Duck identification is very important when before the harvest. By using The Spruce, you accept our, How to Tell the Two Types of Scaups Apart, Greater Scaup and Lesser Scaup: Quick Reference, How to Tell Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Yellowlegs Apart. Please do not substitute this template. Melissa Mayntz has been a birder and wild bird enthusiast for 30+ years. Take your time to study it, and submit your answer in the comments section! I originally thought they were lessers as the location ( according to Sibley) seems more likely. The bill of the Lesser Scaup is slightly smaller than the Greater, but it is a very hard-to-use ID mark when in the field. The Lesser Scaup has a narrower bill than does the Greater Scaup (Figure 7). Here we go again. Then a pop quiz of an unidentified Scaup species. Today we saw our first northern shovelers of the season (boldly colored ducks with enormous bills), and a belted kingfisher. Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis. The greater scaup and lesser scaup are some of the most challenging waterfowl for birders to distinguish between, and there is no single indicator that is clear for either bird. Females are brown with white patches around their blue bills. 1. Unquestionably a bonded pair -- stayed right together over several days. She has over 16 years experience writing about wild birds for magazines and websites. As we know there are many variations of ducks and one among those is scaup ducks. That fits for Lesser. Appearance. The white wing stripe extends into the primaries. Seen in flight, the white on the Lesser Scaup's wings fades to gray in the primaries. The female Greater Scaup and female Lesser Scaup are brown with a white patch at the base of their bill. http://www.ontarionature.org/. Lesser Scaup (female) Lesser Scaup (male & female) It has been a delightful treat getting to watch all the winter visitors up close and personal while they live here temporarily on populated Cambridge Creek. In greater scaup, the adult male’s head is rounded in profile, not angular or peaked as in the lesser scaup, and it has a green (not purple) sheen. Head shape is considered the key to separating the two species, but changes based on the activity, such as resting or diving (the wet head). Aythya affinis Traditionally, lesser scaup (a.k.a. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. Figure 8. When examining the scaups, check for these characteristics to distinguish between the greater and the lesser: Identifying scaups in the field can be a great challenge, but it is possible. Lesser and greater scaup are counted together in annual aerial surveys because the two species are hard to distinguish at a distance. Both the Lesser and Greater scaup are popularly called "Bluebills." Other individuals can be a greater challenge. To me, the male looks more like a Lesser, the female more like a Greater… Female Lesser Scaup and her entourage . Some female Greater Scaup may have a pale cheek patch in spring and summer. Apr 14, 2020 - Explore Barbara Nowakowski's board "Scaup" on Pinterest. Flocks of scaup are often seen at rest, with their heads tucked in. Females are brown overall, grayer on body in winter, with white patch at base of bill and yellow eye. Greater and lesser scaup are often found together, but the larger size of the greater scaup is very obvious. The black nail on the end of the bill is also slightly larger on the Greater Scaup. The Lesser has been known to hybridize with the Ring-necked Duck ( Timpken 1969). The past few days I have been photographing in Westport, Massachusetts of ducks on the Westport River. But greater scaup have white on their primary and secondary feathers extending nearly to the tip of the wing, while lesser scaup only have white on their secondaries. While Greater Scaup has a bigger bill on average, the smaller head and thinner neck of Lesser Scaup may give you the impression of it having a relatively large bill like a Greater. The peak of the crown on the Greater is toward the front of the head. The diet is composed mainly of clams. This nail in the Lesser Scaup is rectangular. The female also has a white semi-circle at the base of the beak. Greater scaup are estimated to constitute roughly 11 percent of the continental scaup population. 8.1: Male Greater and Lesser Scaup. Separating Greater from Lesser Scaup is a real challenge. Some individual birds in certain postures can be relatively easy. The greater scaup has narrower barring on its back, and the barring rarely extends onto its white flanks. When viewed from the front, the greater scaup has a more triangular, broader head compared to the narrower head of the lesser scaup. The bird on the right has a somewhat narrower looking head but no real peak. Both bills are black, but in the winter, the greater yellowlegs' bill lightens at the base to give it a two-tone appearance. They have dull blue bills and white on the face. GA This article has been rated as GA-Class on the project's quality scale. And if you see a brood of babies with an adult, count them … Lesser Here we go again. Males have black heads, shoulder and breast, white flanks, grey back and a black tail. Winter flocks on coastal bays may number in the thousands. The open water that had been packed with waterfowl was relatively quiet and I saw lots of ducks out in the agricultural fields nearby. GA This article has been rated as GA-Class on the project's quality scale. Many of the distinguishing field marks between the two species, such as size, iridescence, and head shape, can vary greatly depending on the bird’s posture, the light level, and the bird’s activity. 1. Drake greater scaup are larger and have more rounded heads than the females; they have a bright blue bill and yellow eyes. The white wing stripe does not extend strongly into the primaries. Lesser. However, depending on the lighting conditions this can be misleading. That is a good feature of Greater Scaup (esp. I am keeping a 2014 bird list (also available from the page links at the top of the blog). Scaup Duck Aythya marila Slimbridge Gloucestershire. Females are brown with white patches around their blue bills. The birds in the back of this image are Long-tailed Ducks. immature females). Contaminants, lower female survival and reduced recruitment due to changes in breeding habitat or food resources are thought to be the primary factors contributing to the decline. These remarkable pictures by Brian Currie offer a side-by-side comparison of a male Lesser and a male Greater Scaup. Size is one, as lesser scaup are about 20 percent smaller than greater scaup. Can be similar to immature male and female Tufted Duck, but note … Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis. Females, juveniles and drakes in eclipse plumage are hard to identify; there is considerable overlap in length between the two species, but greater scaup are usually noticeably more bulky. As for hybrids I don't know if we are just "lucky" at Tring but we get two or three Aythya hybrids a year on Tring Reservoirs and certainly have one or two at the moment that would have been claimed as Lesser Scaup in years gone by. tufted ducks in flight - greater scaup duck stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. Scaup are diving ducks with a resemblance to tufted ducks. … Salt water, Quebec Coast, June. ... 3 Responses to Common Goldeneye and Greater and Lesser Scaup Ducks at Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee Wisconsin December 7, 2014. The Greater Scaup is, therefore, overall heavier-billed than the Lesser Scaup. There are several problems with this method. Lesser Scaup are diving ducks that occur on fairly large bodies of water across much of the United States in winter. 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. The breeding male scaup sports a black-purple glossed (and slightly peaked) head, a blue bill, a grey and white back and a short white wing stripe. Fig. That fits for Lesser. The third species is the New Zealand scaup (A. novaeseelandiae). Even with the most careful observation, it is not always possible to be positive about scaup identification. Greater Scaup Aythya marila. I am keeping a 2014 bird list (also available from the page links at the top of the blog). One Lesser in the third picture from above, I reckon? Great Scaup, top image and Lesser Scaup - bottom image. There are several problems with this method. In the Greater Scaup, the white extends into the primaries. The birds in the top row are all Lesser Scaup. It does however have slightly darker flanks, and the female is lighter brown on the body than the female Greater. The lesser scaup has a straighter neck and more oval head with the peak further back, and a resting lesser scaup will show a notch or corner toward the back of the head. The Greater shows a more rounded head appearance.3. The male Lesser Scaup is about 17” long and is, overall, very similar to the Greater. Drakes of both species appear similar from afar, with dark heads, white flanks, and gray backs. For the best results, try to observe several different birds in the same flock, as scaups are social birds that can congregate in large numbers. Greater Scaup adults, female left – male right, on the beach. Unquestionably a bonded pair -- stayed right together over several days. The female Greater Scaup and female Lesser Scaup are brown with a white patch at the base of their bill. 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. Many different types of ducks have distinctive markings and bold plumages that make identification easy, but that isn’t the case with the scaups. These scaup ducks are again divided in3to two other divisions which are greater scaup and lesser scaup ducks. The male Lesser appears about 10% smaller than its flock-mates and shows duller grayish-tinged flank than the adult male Greaters. Consequently, males showing this mark can be reliably identified as Greater … Some birds will be more obvious than others. Derek Courtney November 16, 2011 at 7:52 pm @Corey: I believe the bird Jochen is referring to would be the male scaup, 3rd in from the top left in the 3rd photo from the top. This is also borne out in Minnesota eBird records for the two: lesser scaup vs. greater scaup. What do you think? Scaup Greater Vs. Photos by Brian Currie : Lower left: Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Upper right: Greater Scaup Aythya marila Mayor's Pond, Brigham City, Utah Birders who learn the many tiny differences between the two birds, however, can gradually become proficient in telling them apart. Some female Greater Scaup may have a pale cheek patch in spring and summer. Average length: M 18.6", F 17" Average weight: M 2.32 lbs., F 2.15 lbs. These were taken at Lake maligne near Jasper. Photographs © Greg Lavaty.The birds in the second row are Greater Scaup. The open water that had been packed with waterfowl was relatively quiet and I saw lots of ducks out in the agricultural fields nearby. Females are brown, with characteristic white patches around the base of the bill. Females are brown overall, grayer on body in winter, with white patch at base of bill and yellow eye. Female greater scaups are typically slightly darker than their lesser counterparts, and greater scaup females will show more white on the face than lesser scaup females. The lesser scaup, on the other hand, has heavier barring that frequently extends lower on the white flanks. 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. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board, Oval, highest point near back, notch at rear, Heavier barring, barring extends onto flanks, White extends across secondary and primary feathers, Northern, saltwater, coastal, also in Eurasia, More southern, inland freshwater, North America only. In flight they show white patches along the length of the trailing edge of the wing. The Greater and Lesser Scaup can be difficult to distinguish in the field. The female is brownish overall, also with a yellow eye after the age of two. Her proportionately larger and deeper bill can be seen. The Lesser has a peaked, angular head that the Greater lacks. Tufted Duck generally shuns the coast, but is reliably found in any freshwater habitat with water deep enough. 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. Examining resting birds will reveal the best identification characteristics, and checking birds from different angles will give a better overall comparison between the two species. However, some female Lesser Scaup can have the same mark. Appearance The breeding male scaup sports a black-purple glossed (and slightly peaked) head, a blue bill, a grey and white back and a short … C Image D is a close-up showing head detail. Furthermore, bill sides are parallel in the Lesser Scaup whereas in the Greater Scaup the bill widens toward the tip. Lesser scaup are often hard to distinguish from the greater scaup when direct comparison is not possible, but in North America a large scaup flock will often have both species present. Here, black-and-white males and chocolatey-brown females bob along on the waves. Image from the Ontario Nature web site. Greater Scaup sometimes have the appearance of a flat spot on the head. To me, the male looks more like a Lesser, the female more like a Greater… 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. Image J shows a female Greater Scaup second from right. The white wing stripe extends into the primaries. 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. Size is one, as lesser scaup are about 20 percent smaller than greater scaup. Note the white eye ring and white band near the tip of the bill. Common Goldeneye and Greater Scaup, top image and Lesser Scaup present at Griffin Park on 9 December greater vs lesser scaup female..., never purplish in winter, with their heads tucked in head, is... Larger and have more rounded heads than the amount of white in the agricultural fields nearby and January! The wings Bridge briefly over the lunch hour today much wider than that of the head, overall grayer. Ducks that occur on fairly large bodies of water across much of Lesser!, 2016 by PhotoBee1Blog indicating a Lesser Scaup has a somewhat narrower looking but! 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In January I wrote a blog about greatest Scaup side by side on project... 9 eggs Redheads at a distance will present a similar color pattern but the larger size of the.! Records for the two: Lesser Scaup nail on the left, or perhaps not shown in the back the!
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