Aythya marila
The Greater Scaup, *Aythya marila*, is a robust medium-sized diving duck with a distinctive appearance, particularly the male. Drakes exhibit a striking black head with a shimmering green gloss in good light, a black breast, and a clean white flank, set against a blue-gray bill with a black tip. Hens are predominantly brown, featuring a prominent white patch at the base of the bill, a key identification mark. These birds typically measure 42-51 cm (16.5-20 in) in length, boast a wingspan of 7...
Breeds on tundra pools, boreal lakes, and marshy wetlands, often near coastal areas or large freshwater bodies; winters primarily on large coastal estuaries, bays, and large inland lakes, rarely found far from water.
Primarily consumes aquatic invertebrates, especially mollusks (e.g., mussels, clams), crustaceans, and insect larvae, supplemented with some aquatic plants and seeds.
Greater Scaup are diurnal, actively foraging during the day and roosting in large, dense rafts on open water at night for safety. They are expert diving ducks, often submerging for 20-30 seconds or more to forage, using powerful kicks of their large feet. While not strongly territorial during bre...
The Greater Scaup boasts a vast Holarctic distribution, breeding across the Arctic and subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia. In North America, breeding occurs from Alaska across northern Canada to Greenland, primarily on tundra pools and boreal wetlands. Eurasian breeding grounds extend...
Least Concern
- Greater Scaup are sometimes called 'bluebills' due to their distinctive bluish-gray bills. - They are one of the deepest diving ducks, capable of reaching depths of over 20 feet (6 meters) to forage for shellfish. - During winter, they can form massive rafts on open water, sometimes comprising ...