Glossy black head, front, and rear with a gray back and white sides. Lesser Scaup. The wingspan is 68–78 cm (27–31 in). Basic Description. Weight- 2 lbs. Other Names: Little Bluebill Distribution: northern North America in summer; southern United States through Mexico in winter. About 350 species of birds are likely to be seen in Missouri, though nearly 400 have been recorded within our borders. Visit the Bent Life History for extensive additional information on the Lesser Scaup. 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. Compared to dabbling ducks, their wings are smaller relative to their body weight. The species can weigh 454–1,089 g (1.001–2.401 lb); males weigh 820 g (1.81 lb) on average and weigh noticeably less, at 730 g (1.61 lb) on average. A male lesser scaup is generally silent and only makes soft calls during courtship. The light band near the trailing edges of the wings runs almost to the tip in the greater scaup, but only about half way In the lesser. Many communicate with songs and calls. From afar flocks might just look like floating mats of vegetation on the water. At this time of year, any lake, reservoir or gravel pit should host this species, as well as its frequent companion, Common Pochard. Hiding a checklist will exclude the taxa on it from all forms of eBird output that show a location (including bar charts, maps, and arrival/departure tables), but the observation will still be accessible to you, and will appear on your lists. From afar flocks might just look like floating mats of vegetation on the water. - lesser scaup stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. In fall, they and millions of other birds migrate south, mostly along the famous Central and Mississippi flyways, to winter in the southern United States and into Central America. Occasionally observed statewide in summer although not known to breed within our border. a courtship flight of lesser scaup ducks in early spring where males compete to mate with the hen. Females are rich brown overall, with a darker head and white patch next to the bill. This is by far the commonest Aythya and therefore the most familiar. The smaller size can be explained by the fact that it is further away (which you can tell because it is out of focus compared to the other birds). The body is mottled brown-gray. #50295064 - Male Lesser Scaup Flying in a Blue Sky #39480769 - A Greater Scaup drake (Aythya marila) sunning himself as he floats.. #63304319 - New Zealand Scaup, (Black Teal) (Aythya novaeseelandiae) duck.. #50613588 - Female Scaup Rising High in the Water #66390979 - Lesser scaup (Aythya affinis). Fast flying birds have long, pointed wings. Credit Photographer for usage. From whistles and coos to yodels and grunts, ducks have a lot of different things to say. To take flight, they flap their wings and run along the surface of the water, patting their feet on the surface, gaining speed and lift until they are airborne. The female makes a hoarse can-can-can or a barking garf, garf, garf that is higher and softer than the female greater scaup’s. Winters on lakes, reservoirs, rivers, sheltered areas of coastal bays. Tufted Duck generally shuns the coast, but is reliably found in any freshwater habitat with water deep enough. Note how the narrow head is ‘peaked’ – tallest at the back of the head. I watched another 10 minutes or so and saw no obvious signs of injury. Found on lakes and ponds during migration and winter. Denham Springs, LA. A drake lesser’s head often shimmers with iridescent purple tones, and a greater’s shows hidden shades of green. And actually, as writers have pointed out, many of each clan exhibit both colors. Medium-sized diving duck with a tall, peaked head. Like other bay ducks (diving ducks, or pochards), scaups can dive completely underwater. The majority of lesser scaup migrate through the Central and Mississippi Flyways to wintering areas along the Gulf of Mexico and coastal Florida. It is a series of shots of Greater Scaup flying out of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge’s West Pond, of which the image that includes Red-breasted Mergansers is the most interesting. Can be very difficult to tell from Greater Scaup. The male has a high-pitched whistle. Lesser scaup breed in inland Alaska, most of western Canada, and south into Montana and Wyoming. Description: Size: 38-46 cm in length with a 68-77 cm wingspan. Like other popular migratory gamebirds, their numbers are carefully monitored by state, federal, and international conservation agencies. This video is unavailable. Young can fly 47 to 61 days after hatching. Note that the back of the head is flat. Adults are 38–48 cm (15–19 in) long, 41.7–43 cm (16.4–16.9 in) on average. The Lesser Scaup is a medium-sized diving duck with a small peak at the back of the head. Overhunting in the past was one reason why game laws, wildlife reserves, and conservation departments were created. Lesser- Length-17 in. Find local MDC conservation agents, consultants, education specialists, and regional offices. Female Lesser Scaup are mostly dark brown but with a variable size white patch behind the bill. During the breeding season, they are more commonly found in marshes of northern North America where they nest. Wing lengths (not wingspans) are about 7.5–7.9 in (19–20 cm) in males and 7.3–7.8 in (19–20 cm) in females; the tarsus is about 1.4–1.5 in (3.6–3.8 cm) long, and the bill 1.4–1.7 in (3.6–4.3 cm). All plumages have a white wing stripe that extends halfway along the wing (through the secondaries), but usually does not reach the primary feathers. See more images of this species in Macaulay Library. The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds, birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation. Scaups and several other duck species have been shifting their migration routes somewhat, so that more are passing through Lake Erie, where the invasive zebra and quagga mussels have taken hold. SW-63 can be used for multiple species Common Goldeneye (Medium) Greater Scaup (Sm-Med) Lesser Scaup (Med-Large) Redhead (Small) Flying Bird Body Lesser Scaup Pictured Right: Male and female lesser scaup with varying plumage, distance and behavior (flying, etc.). Wildlife animal. Flock of Lesser Scaup flyhing low over rough water. a drake lesser scaup duck flying over a canal with cat-tails on the edge. And if it is the color in the wings then the bird a bit further to the right looks good too. - scaup flight stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. But other ducks have a wide range of noises and calls that they make. Lesser scaup ducklings that hatch from larger eggs and later in the season have higher survival rates than others. Wing Shape. Length: 17 inches (tip of bill to tip of tail). Scaups are mostly silent. Numerous explanations have been proposed. Maybe scaup won’t win the duck beauty contest, but they’re exceptionally pretty birds. Note also the smaller bill with a small nail at the tip. Apparently, the large numbers of mussels offer a reliable, abundant food source for the ducks. Lesser Scaup Other notes: The best time to review the shape of the head is when the ducks are loafing around or napping. But researchers worry that ducks feasting on these mussels may be harmed in the long run, because the filter-feeding mussels collect and concentrate pollutants in their tissues. Birds are warm-blooded, and most species can fly. Habitat loss and pollution may be part of the problem, but it could also be due to the lesser scaup’s relatively late breeding time: Climate change may be causing their foods to diminish at the place and time their growing young need top nutrition. Note the peaked head and that the back of the head is flat. We protect and manage the fish, forest, and wildlife of the state. Lesser Scaup flying (Aythya affinis) over prairie pothole. White-winged Scoter. Number observed: 1. The shape of a bird's wing is often an indication of its habits and behavior. In lesser scaup, the adult male’s head is angular or peaked, not rounded as in the greater scaup, and it has a purple (not green) sheen. - lesser scaup stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. The Greater Scaup is the larger of the two native scaups seen in North America, the Lesser Scaup is the second scaup. A diet heavy with mussels contaminated with cadmium, selenium, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other pollutants may be impairing the ducks' ability to reproduce. Watch Queue Queue Jan 23, 2018 - Explore Bo Nielsen's board "Lesser Scaup" on Pinterest. courtship flight lesser scaup ducks. … During winter, look for Lesser Scaup on lakes, reservoirs, coastal bays, and estuaries. This photo clearly shows the angular head shape that distinguishes lesser scaup from greater scaup. Different songbirds will have a slightly different wing shape. Plumage: Males have a very light gray body, blackish chest, and black-appearing head glossed with purple. Ring-necked ducks have a point or bump on the back of the head; the male has a black back, and the female a white eye-ring. 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. That said, I am by no means an expert, or even very knowledgeable, about field marks of scaup in flight. They are more likely to use inland lakes than Greater Scaup. In Missouri, we usually only see them in spring and fall as they migrate. The white wing stripe is restricted to the secondary wing feathers; the wing stripe on the primaries is gray. Most people know a bird when they see one — it has feathers, wings, and a bill. See more ideas about waterfowl, duck, birds. Females are brown overall with a darker brown head and a white patch next to the bill, but not all females have a white patch. In winter also occurs in bays, estuaries, and lagoons. Birders there had to invent games to make seeing a scaup interesting: During migration and winter, Lesser Scaup form large flocks on lakes, bays, rivers, and larger wetlands. Image Credit: Richard Crossley - www.crossleybooks.com Medium-sized diving duck with a peaked head and a smallish straight bill. They tend to form tight groups and mix with other diving ducks such as Canvasbacks, Redheads, Greater Scaup, and Ring-necked Ducks. The male lesser scaup can be distinguished from the similar greater scaup by its angular (not rounded) head with a purplish sheen. - scaup flight stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. Females can show only small amounts of white on the face like this individual. The other post is Jochen’s tale of trying to find a Lesser Scaup in Europe. Soaring birds have long, broad wings. During spring and fall migrations, these waterfowl are seen in very large rafts on lakes and rivers. Marsh ponds (summer), lakes, bays, estuaries. We facilitate and provide opportunity for all citizens to use, enjoy, and learn about these resources. Sure, some ducks do quack—especially female dabbling ducks. Overlaps extensively with Greater Scaup, especially in winter, but at that season the Lesser is far more likely to be found on freshwater lakes and ponds well inland. It is thought that lesser scaup breed later in the season than other North American ducks in order to take best advantage of amphipod prey abundance, which increases later in the season. Birds lay hard-shelled eggs (often in a nest), and the parents care for the young. The female is brown, with white around the base of the bill giving it a white "face," similar to the greater scaup female. Weight-1 "Va Hen Eclipse Drake Except for the wing marks, greater and lesser scaup appear nearly Identical In the field. Lesser scaup numbers are robust but have declined nearly 60 percent between 1966 and 2015, and no one is sure why. 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. From the small peak, the back of the head and neck is flat, not rounded as it is on Greater Scaup. Fresh and brackish water wetlands and open bays are preferred wintering habitats. Lesser scaup are common migrants in Missouri and are more common than the closely related, similar-looking greater scaup. In fall, they and millions of other birds migrate south, mostly along the famous Central and Mississippi flyways, to winter in the southern United States and into Central America. Common migrant. Like other diving ducks, scaups forage for aquatic invertebrates such as snails, crayfish, and aquatic insects, and submerged aquatic vegetation by diving completely below the surface and swimming underwater. (photo by Matt Grube) Male Lesser Scaup – a gorgeous bird with glossy purple-black head and breast, white sides and marbled grey back, blue bill and bright yellow eyes. Tight-knit groups of Lesser Scaup congregate on large lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries during migration and winter, sometimes by the thousands. The female lesser scaup is brown, with white around the base of the bill, giving it a "white face," similar to the greater scaup female. Medium-sized diving duck with a peak to the back of the head (inconspicuous in some postures), and head that is often darker than body. These ducks are also known as the Blue Bills. Nonbreeding males look like a cross between a female and a breeding male: a mottled brown-and-gray body and a blackish head. Lesser scaup breed in inland Alaska, most of western Canada, and south into Montana and Wyoming. 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. In Missouri, we usually only see them in spring and fall as they migrate. See the paragraph above for how to distinguish between the two. Scaup Greater-Length-18 V2 in. wood-duck-waterfowl-mount common-eider-taxidermy-mount bufflehead-taxidermy-mounts goldeneyes-taxidermy-mount bufflehead-mounts bluewing-teal-hen=mounts northern-pintail-waterfowl-mount black-duck-preening bufflehead-taxidermy-mount black-duck-taxidermy-mount blue-goose-snow-goose-mounts blue-goose cinnamon-teal-pair-glass-case-mount brant-goose-mount harlequin-sea-duck-bird-mount … Nonbreeding males have a dark head with a yellow eye. Many migrate hundreds or thousands of miles. Brian E. Kushner / Getty Images. A nonmigratory population exists in the Cascade Mountains. 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