Aythya affinis
The Lesser Scaup, *Aythya affinis*, is a small to medium-sized North American diving duck, easily distinguished by its unique head shape and often mistaken for its larger cousin, the Greater Scaup. Males average 40-47 cm in length with a wingspan of 68-78 cm and weigh 700-1100 grams, displaying a glossy purplish-black head with a noticeable peak at the rear crown, a black chest, a white flank, and a grey back finely barred with black, giving it a darker appearance than the Greater Scaup. Fema...
Primarily found in open freshwater wetlands, marshes, and prairie potholes during breeding, transitioning to larger lakes, reservoirs, and coastal bays for wintering. Typically observed at low to moderate elevations.
Primarily consume aquatic invertebrates, especially mollusks (like zebra mussels and small clams) and aquatic insects, supplemented by some aquatic vegetation and seeds. Forage by diving to the bottom of water bodies.
Lesser Scaup are highly social and diurnal, spending their days actively diving for food and often forming large, cohesive rafts on open water, especially during migration and winter. Foraging involves vigorous underwater dives, sometimes lasting up to 25 seconds, using their feet for propulsion ...
The breeding range of the Lesser Scaup spans much of interior Alaska, Canada, and the northern United States, extending from the Yukon and Northwest Territories eastward to Quebec, and south through the boreal forest and prairie pothole regions. During winter, they undertake extensive migrations,...
Least Concern
- Lesser Scaup are among the deepest-diving ducks, capable of reaching depths of 7-8 meters (20-25 feet) to forage for food. - They often form massive flocks, known as 'rafts,' numbering in the tens of thousands, particularly during migration and on their wintering grounds. - The species has dram...