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. Here, black-and-white males and chocolatey-brown females bob along on the waves. The only circumpolar diving duck, the Greater Scaup breeds across the tundra regions in North America and Europe. Adult male Greater Scaup in breeding plumage have a black head with a glossy green sheen while the Lesser Scaup generally has a black head with a purplish glossy sheen although it … When viewed from the front, the greater scaup has a more triangular, broader head compared to the narrower head of the lesser scaup. The greater scaup (Aythya marila), just scaup in Europe or, colloquially, "bluebill" in North America, is a mid-sized diving duck, larger than the closely related lesser scaup.It spends the summer months breeding in Alaska, northern Canada, Siberia, and the northernmost reaches of Europe.During the winter, it migrates south to the coasts of North America, Europe, and Japan. From afar flocks might just look like floating mats of vegetation on the water. Some individual birds in certain postures can be relatively easy. GREATER SCAUP BY PIERRE DEVICHE, PHOENIX, AZ 85048, DEVICHE@ASU.EDU Winter in Arizona is the season to search for and study the many northern-breeding ducks that overwinter in this region. Photos by Brian Currie : Lower left: Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Upper right: Greater Scaup Aythya marila … 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. At this time of year, most ducks are readily identified based on size, plumage, behavior, voice, and/or habitat. Comparison of Lesser and Greater Scaup Photos and text by David Roemer . 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. Separating Greater from Lesser Scaup is a real challenge. 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. Other individuals can be a greater challenge. Greater Scaup and Lesser Scaup identification: The larger Greater Scaup (Aythya Marila) has a much more rounded head when compared with the Lesser Scaup (Aythya Affinis) which has a small tuft at its hind crown. Images A-F are of a pair of male Lesser Scaup present at Griffin Park in Bowling Green on 8 and 9 January 2007. C Comparison of Greater and Lesser Scaup. Greater Scaup tend to choose saltwater bodies, while Lesser Scaup are found in freshwater zones further inland. Still, there’s quite a bit of overlap in their ranges, especially in the summer when Greaters hang out in lakes and bogs, in addition to their regular seaside dives. 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). LESSER VS. They congregate by the hundreds and thousands along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts during winter. Tight-knit groups of Lesser Scaup congregate on large lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries during migration and winter, sometimes by the thousands.
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