Bird name:

Greater Scaup

Aythya marila

Order

ANSERIFORMES

Family

Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Code 4

GRSC

Code 6

AYTMAR

ITIS

175130

Breeding Location:

Ponds, Lakes, Beaches, coastal

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial nester

Breeding Population:

Common to uncommon

Egg Color:

Dark olive buff

Number of Eggs:

5 - 11

Incubation Days:

24 - 28

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Decaying plant material and down

Migration:

Migratory

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General

Greater Scaup: Large diving duck with glossy green-black head, white sides and belly, black tail, neck, breast and barred gray flanks and back. Female is brown overall with a white ear patch and bold white patch at base of black-tipped gray bill. Juvenile is brown overall with a darker brown head and gray bill.

Range and Habitat

Greater Scaup: Found in Alaska, northern Canada and along both north American coasts and sometimes along the gulf coasts. Prefers ponds, marshes and lakes.

Breeding and Nesting

Greater Scaup: Builds a nest of decaying plant material and down very close to the water and somtimes floating on water. Five to eleven dark olive buff eggs are incubated by the female for 24 to 28 days. One brood per year.

Foraging and Feeding

Greater Scaup: Eats mollusks and aquatic plants obtained by diving and swimming underwater.

Vocalization

Greater Scaup: Usually silent but can utter a loud "scaup." Breeding males make a soft "week, week, week" sound.

Similar Species

Greater Scaup: The Lesser Scaup is smaller and male has grayer sides.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Ear patch

Consists of soft, loose-webbed feathers on the side of the bird's head below and behind the eyes.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America