How do you identify a lesser scaup?
The Four Keys to ID
- Size & Shape.
- At a distance, breeding male Lesser Scaup are black and white, but closer views reveal an iridescent purple to green sheen on the head, a finely barred black-and-white back, a bluish bill, and a yellow eye.
How do I identify my duck?
Identifying Ducks by Sight
- Size: How large is the duck?
- Head: What markings are visible on the head?
- Bill: What is the size and color of the bill?
- Neck: What is the neck length?
- Plumage: What are the most prominent colors on the back, rump, neck, breast, and flanks?
- Speculum: Is the duck’s speculum a unique color?
Is a ringneck duck a scaup?
Closely related and superficially similar to the greater and lesser scaup, this diving bird has a few embellishments that easily set it apart from the scaup. Like the scaup, the male ringneck is blackish—in most light—on head, chest, and back.
Is Lesser Scaup rare?
Lesser Scaup is the most abundant diving duck in North America, with a global breeding population estimated at 3.8 million.
Is lesser scaup a ringneck?
Lesser Scaup Male Lesser Scaups have a paler back than Ring-necked Ducks and they lack the white side spur.
What does a scaup duck look like?
Nonbreeding males look like a cross between a female and a breeding male: a mottled brown-and-gray body and a blackish head. During migration and winter, Greater Scaup form large flocks on bays, lakes, and larger wetlands. They tend to form tight groups with each other and sometimes mix with other diving ducks.
Are scaup good eating?
6 | They’re Good to Eat I won’t argue that scaup rival most puddle ducks, a canvasback or even a rice-fed ringbill or redhead. However, when cleaned and prepared with care, they’re pretty good. The key is to eat them fresh.
What kind of duck has a pink bill?
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck is a boisterous duck with a brilliant pink bill and an unusual, long-legged silhouette. In places like Texas and Louisiana, watch for noisy flocks of these gaudy ducks dropping into fields to forage on seeds, or loafing on golf course ponds.
What is the difference between lesser and scaup?
The sides and back of the greater are lighter and there’s a larger black nail on the tip of the bill (not easy to see). 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.
How do you identify a scaup duck?
The Four Keys to ID. Size & Shape The Lesser Scaup is a medium-sized diving duck with a small peak at the back of the head. From the small peak, the back of the head and neck is flat, not rounded as it is on Greater Scaup. Relative Size Larger than a Green-winged Teal, smaller than a Canvasback.
Where do lesser scaup ducks come from?
Lesser scaup have one of the most extensive breeding ranges of North American ducks. Their breeding range extends from the northern United States through the Prairie Pothole Region, to the Bering Sea, with the largest breeding populations occurring in the boreal forests of Canada.
What age do scaup ducks breed?
Diving ducks typically first breed at 1 year of age, however scaup do not breed until 2 years of age. Diving ducks begin pairing in late winter, and pair bonds are generally established by early spring. Diving ducks have a strong homing ability with a large percentage of them returning to the same breeding areas each year.
What does a greater scaup bird look like?
The wing has a broad white speculum spanning nearly the entire length of the primaries and secondaries. The bill is a light blue-gray with a black nail, the legs and feet are gray and the iris is yellow. Female greater scaup are brown with white oval patches around their bills.