[2], The greater scaup was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1761 under the binomial name Anas marila. Although the two scaup can be difficult to tell apart, any very large flock of scaup on the northeast coast in winter may be assumed to be the Greater. Greater scaup are rated as a species of least concern by the IUCN Redlist. The upper wing has a white stripe starting as the speculum and extending along the flight feathers to the wingtip. The greater scaup drake's eclipse plumage looks similar to its breeding plumage, except the pale parts of the plumage are a buffy gray. [3] This sterilization of hens is causing the population to decrease. [15] There is a report of four greater scaups in April near Chicago swallowing hibernating leopard frogs (with body length about 5 cm (2.0 in)), which they dredged out of a roadside freshwater pond. They are found along the coast of South Carolina in winter only. A joint group of American and Canadian scientists researching scaup migration across the Great Lakes found that 100% of female greater scaup, and 77% of female lesser scaup, had escalated levels of selenium in their bodies. They congregate by the hundreds and thousands along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts during winter. Game animals and shooting in North America, "A pleistocene avifauna from Jalisco, Mexico", "Subspecies of the Greater Scaup and their names", "A phylogenetic analysis of modern pochards (Anatidae: Aythyini)", "Breeding Ecology of Sympatric Greater and Lesser Scaup (Aythya marila and Aythya affinis) in the Subarctic Northwest Territories", "Waterfowl Hunting Management in North America", "Splitting headaches? Birds from Alaska may winter on either Pacific or Atlantic coast; banding records indicate that the same individual may go to opposite coasts in different winters, probably as a result of joining different flocks. Habitat in Nonbreeding Range. [15] They mainly eat molluscs, aquatic plants, and aquatic insects. The eggs hatch in 24 to 28 days. Timing and Routes of Migration. The Greater Scaup differs from the Lesser Scaup in its rounder head, larger bill, and breeding habitat—it nests on large lakes in relatively open areas, overlapping with the northern edge of the Lesser Scaup’s range. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). The Greater Scaup is the more common of the two scaup in the northern United States, where it is usually seen in large rafts, often composed of thousands of birds, on large lakes or coastal bays. [15] The male has a dark head with a green sheen, a black breast, a light back, a black tail, and a white underside. It’s the least you can do. [25] The female lays six to nine olive-buff-colored eggs,[26] which she incubates for 24–28 days. 7-9, sometimes 5-11. They congregate by the hundreds and thousands along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts during winter. Greater scaup. The Greater Scaup is the more northerly of the two species of North American Scaup. [23] The courtship is complex and results in the formation of monogamous pairs. [2] During aerial population surveys greater and lesser scaup are counted together, because they look almost identical from the air. Olive buff. affinis. Lesser Scaups have an average length of 17 inches and an average weight of 1 7/8 pounds. The only circumpolar diving duck, the Greater Scaup breeds across the tundra regions in North America and Europe. Female greater scaup have a single pitch, a raspy “arrr-arrr-arrr-arrr-arrr” vocalization. However, trends in wintering numbers differed throughout the range. In Thai: เป็ดดำหลังขาว, ped dam lạng khao Binomial name: Aythya marila, Carolus Linnaeus, 1761 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. Habitat in Breeding Range. Audubon’s scientists have used 140 million bird observations and sophisticated climate models to project how climate change will affect this bird’s range in the future. The greater scaup is also slightly larger and has a flatter top of the head. Drake greater scaup have a soft, quick whistle they use to attract the attention of hens during courtship, which takes place from late winter to early spring, on the way back to their northern breeding grounds. Hunters frequently use decoys to attract the birds, often arranged to simulate a raft of greater scaup and featuring an open area to attract the birds to land. Size is one, as lesser scaup are about 20 percent smaller than greater scaup. Greater Scaup tend to choose saltwater bodies, while Lesser Scaup are found in freshwater zones further inland. Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and American Ornithologists’ Union. The more northerly of our two scaup species, the Greater is also found across northern Europe and Asia. The Prairie Prestige digital collection will demonstrate how western Canadian artists influenced artists throughout Canada and around the world. The greater scaup has a large range globally. The decline of Greater Scaup has been most pronounced in countries such as Ireland, the UK and The Netherlands (Ian Stewart). Greater scaup begin breeding when they are two years old, although they may start nesting at age one. Lesser Scaups have an average length of 17 inches and an average weight of 1 7/8 pounds. Numbers decreased in the UK, Ireland, and in The Netherlands, while remaining stable in Denmark. The Greater Scaup is a medium sized diving duck is one of the few ducks with a circumpolar distribution and is found across Eurasia as well as North America. Overlaps with Lesser Scaup at all seasons, but in winter the Greater tends to be on more open bays, more exposed situations. Young feed themselves, are capable of flight 40-45 days after hatching. Range. The greater scaup dive to obtain food, which they eat on the surface. [17] Distinguishing greater from lesser scaups can be difficult in the field. Winter flocks on coastal bays may number in the thousands. Further analysis revealed that the kidneys had the highest levels of cadmium, the liver had the highest levels of copper and manganese, the liver and the stomach had the highest levels of zinc, and the lungs and liver had the highest levels of iron. The native Ringed-necked Duck and the vagrant Tufted Duck have similar coloured plumages. Greater scaup nest near water, typically on islands in northern lakes or on floating mats of vegetation. The Greater Scaup has a large natural range and the conservation status is considered to be Least Concern as of September 2013. Although the two scaup can be difficult to tell apart, any very large flock of scaup on the northeast coast in winter may be assumed to be the Greater. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too. Greater scaup breed on the tundra and in the Boreal Forest zones from Iceland across northern Scandinavia, northern Russia, northern Siberia and the western North American Arctic. [4][5] The species is now placed in the genus Aythya that was introduced for the greater scaup by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1822.[6][7]. Aythya affinis Traditionally, lesser scaup (a.k.a. The adult female has a brown body and head, with white wing markings similar to those of the male but slightly duller. collect. Winter flocks on coastal bays may number in the thousands. It is a circumpolar species, which means that its range circles one of Earth's poles. Range The greater scaup can be found in all 4 flyways but are most common in the coastal flyways. [16] Juvenile greater scaup look similar to adult females. Size is one, as lesser scaup are about 20 percent smaller than greater scaup. Greater scaup populations have been declining since the 1980s; however, they are still listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List. Greater Scaup (Aythya marila), version 1.0. Banks (1986) found that the Greater Scaup breeding and wintering in East Asia were indistinguishable from the pale backed nominate A. m. marila of Europe and this conclusion has been adopted by Clements and BNA. These banding programs yield valuable data about migration patterns, harvest rates, and survival rates.[35]. Greater scaup prefer large open water areas; lesser scaup often use marshes and ponds. Illustration © David Allen Sibley. Females lay a clutch of six to nine olive-buff-colored eggs. The Greater Scaup is 20 per cent heavier and 10 per cent longer than the closely related Lesser Scaup], Sentence order, this "breaks" into the middle of your dialog on male characteristics. Text © Kenn Kaufman, adapted from National Audubon Society It has a white band and brown oval shaped patches at the base of the bill, which is a slightly duller shade of blue than the drake's. The breeding range in North America is primarily in coastal tundra in western Alaska and around Hudson Bay. 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. Their heads are dark, with a green gloss; the breast is black, the belly white and the wing shows a white stripe. Greater scaups have an average length of 18 ½ inches and an average weight of 2 pounds. Mostly mollusks and plant material. Recent taxonomic changes affecting the British and Western Palaearctic lists", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greater_scaup&oldid=1004686468, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 February 2021, at 21:33. https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/greater-scaup The greater scaup (Aythya marila), just scaup in Europe or, colloquially, "bluebill" in North America,[3] is a mid-sized diving duck, larger than the closely related lesser scaup. 650 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Size: True to its name, the greater scaup is the larger bird at 18 to 20 inches in length, while lesser scaups are 16 to 18 inches long.While size can be challenging to judge in the field, this can be a useful comparison in a mixed scaup flock or when comparing to other duck species where the sizes are known. Bald Eagle. Greater Scaup: This large diving duck has a glossy green-black head, white sides and belly, black tail, neck and breast, barred gray flanks and back. Legs and feet of both sexes are gray. Greater Scaup Aythya marila. Young: female leads young to water shortly after hatching; 2 or more broods may join, tended by 1 or more females. [29] In freshwater ecosystems, the greater scaup will eat seeds, leaves, stems and roots, along with sedges, pondweeds, muskgrass, and wild celery. The lakes chosen are used yearly by the same ducks. Learn more about these drawings. They typically nest on islands in large northern lakes. This map depicts the range boundary, defined as the areas where the species is estimated to occur at a rate of 5% or more for at least one week within each season. It spends the summer months breeding in Alaska, northern Canada, Siberia, and the northernmost reaches of Europe. It was estimated that the greater scaup made up about 11% of the continental scaup population. [21][22], In North America, the greater scaup summers in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ungava Bay, Hudson Bay, Lake Winnipeg, northern Yukon, northern Manitoba, and northern Saskatchewan. [30] The greater scaup forms large flocks, some of which can contain thousands of birds. Greater scaup are a popular game bird in North America and Europe. Spread the word. Diet in winter is mainly mussels, clams, oysters, snails, and other mollusks. [16] Owing to the greater scaup's webbed feet and weight, it can dive up to 6 metres (20 ft) and stay submerged for up to a minute, allowing it to reach food sources that are unobtainable to other diving ducks. To choose saltwater bodies, while this is rarely the case with lesser scaup often use marshes and ponds,. And yellow eyes and is 20 % heavier and 10 % longer than the more abundant lesser scaup,. To surface to be more rounded, and Japan ] there was no difference in concentration when comparing.! 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