Greater Scaup
Encyclopedia
The Greater Scaup just Scaup in Europe, or colloquially known as "Bluebill", for its bright blue bill, is small compared to other diving duck
s, however it is larger than the closely related Lesser Scaup
. It breeds on the ground by lakes and bogs on the tundra
and at the northern limits of the boreal forest across Arctic and subarctic regions of northern North America, Europe and Asia.
The drake, or male Greater Scaup, is larger than the female, and has a more rounded head, colored black with a dark green tint. Its belly and flanks are bright white, its neck, upper chest, and tail feathers glossy black, and its lower flanks grey. The drake also has a white speculum
on its wings. The hen, or female, is mostly brown with white patches around the bill, which is a duller shade of blue than that of the male, and has grey feet and legs.
The Greater Scaup feeds by diving underwater for aquatic plants and mollusks. Its weight and webbed feet allow it to reach food up to 20 feet (6.1 m) under water.
word for an unidentified seabird. The Greater Scaup was first studied by Linnaeus in 1761. The Greater Scaups in America are distinguishable from the same species in Europe and Asia by stronger vermiculation on the mantle and scapulars, and are considered a separate subspecies, A. m. nearctica. Based on size differences, a Pleistocene
paleosubspecies, Aythya marila asphaltica, has also been described from fossil
s recovered at Binagady, Azerbaijan
. The Greater Scaup's name may come from "scalp", a Scottish
and Northern English
word for a shellfish bed or from the duck's mating call: "scaup scaup".
A phylogenetic analysis of the diving duck
s, examining the skeletal anatomy and skin, found that the Greater and Lesser Scaups are each others' closest relatives, with the Tufted Duck
as the next closest relative of the pair.
. The male has a dark head with a green sheen, a black breast, a light back, a black tail and a white bottom. The drake, or male Greater Scaup is larger and has a more rounded head than the female. The drake's belly and flanks are a bright white. Its neck, upper chest, and tail feathers are a glossy black, while its lower flanks are grey. The drake also has a white speculum
on its wings. The adult female has a white band at the base of the bill and a brown head and body.
and Siberia
. The Greater Scaup also spends the Summer across the northern part of Europe. They are also found in Asia
and the Aleutian Islands. They are found in the Aleutians year round. The summer habitat is marshy lowland tundra
and islands in fresh water lakes. In the fall, the Greater Scaup populations start migrating south for the winter. They winter along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of America, the coasts of northwest Europe, the Caspian Sea
, the Black Sea
, the coast of Japan
, Yellow Sea
and East China Sea
. During the winter months, it lives in coastal bays, estuaries, and sometimes inland lakes, such as the lakes of Central Europe
and the Great Lakes
.
In Europe, the Greater Scaup spend the summers in Iceland, the northern coasts of Scandinavia, including much of the northern parts of the Baltic sea
, the higher mountains of Scandinavia and the areas close to the Arctic Sea in Russia. These birds spend the winters in the British isles, western Norway, the southern tip of Sweden, the coast from Bretagne
to Poland, including all of Denmark, the Alps, the eastern Adriatic sea
, the northern and western Black sea and the southwestern Caspian sea.
In North America, the Greater Scaup summers in Newfoundland
and Labrador
, along with Ungava Bay
, the Hudson Bay
, Lake Winnipeg
, Northern Yukon
, Northern Manitoba
, and Northern Saskatchewan
. It winters in Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
, and the entire west coast of British Columbia. It will also winter along the entire west coast of America, including the Baja Peninsula. Greater Scaup winter along the shores of the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. They also winter along the entire east coast of America, from Maine
to Florida
.
to northern Scandinavia
, northern Russia
, northern Siberia
and the western North American Arctic. They breed in the tundra
and the boreal forest; it is estimated that 75% of the North American population breed in Alaska. Greater Scaup typically nest on islands in large northern lakes. Greater Scaup begin breeding when they are two years old, although they may start nesting at age one. Drake Greater Scaup have a soft quick whistle to get the attention of hens during their courtship which takes place from late winter to early spring, on the way back to their northern breeding grounds. Hen Greater Scaup have a single pitch, raspy “arrr-arrr-arrr-arrr-arrr” sounding vocalization. The courtship procedure is complex and results in the formation of monogamous pairs. They nest in close proximity to each other in large colonies, usually near water, on an island or shoreline, or on a mat of floating vegetation. The nest consists of a shallow depression made by the hen and lined with her down. Hens lay an average of six to nine olive-buff colored eggs. After the eggs are laid, the drake Greater Scaup will abandon the hen. The incubation period for their eggs is twenty four to twenty eight days. When the baby Greater Scaup are born, they already have down and are able to follow their mother on her search for food. Although the baby Greater Scaups can swim and find food on their own soon after birth, it takes them to 40–45 days to learn how to fly. The hen Greater Scaups will often work to defend their young from predators.
The Greater Scaup mainly eats mollusks, aquatic plants, and aquatic insects, which it obtains by diving underwater. During the summer months, the Greater Scaup will eat small aquatic crustaceans. There is a report of four Greater Scaups swallowing leopard frog
s (with body length about 5 cm (2 inches)), which they dredged out of a roadside freshwater pond. In freshwater ecosystems, the Greater Scaup will eat seeds, leaves, stems, roots, along with sedges, pondweeds, muskgrass, and wild celery. Owing to the Greater Scaup's webbed feet and weight, it can dive up to 20 feet (6.1 m) and stay submerged for up to a minute, allowing it to reach food sources that other diving ducks are unable to take advantage of.
The Greater Scaup form large rafts with other Greater Scaup, some of which can contain thousands of birds. When these rafts are in water that has a current they will face it, and as the ducks float backwards, some fly to the front of the raft to keep it in the same position. The ducks in the raft dive to obtain food, which they eat on the surface.
, skunks, racoons, foxes, coyotes, and humans. Although the Greater Scaup has several predators, the most significant threat to its survival is habitat degradation caused by a mix of human development and runoff.
A joint group of American and Canadian scientists researching Scaup migration across the Great Lakes
found that 100% of hen Greater Scaup, and 77% of hen Lesser Scaup, had escalated levels of selenium
in their bodies. Selenium, a naturally occurring trace element that is semi metallic, occurs in some soils and is necessary for Greater Scaup in small levels. However Selenium, in large enough levels, can cause reproductive harm and is highly toxic. On their migration across the Great Lakes, Greater Scaups are at risk of ingesting selenium by eating the invasive zebra mussels, which can render a hen sterile.This sterilization of hens is causing the population to decrease.
A major threat to the Greater Scaup is habitat degradation in the Atlantic Flyway
. Since 80% of the Greater Scaup population winters in the urbanized part of the Atlantic Flyway, these ducks are subject to higher levels of organic contaminates, along with increased levels of heavy metals in foods and habitat, and in some cases, the Greater Scaup themselves.
-like boats that hunters lie inside. 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.
Diving duck
The diving ducks, commonly called pochards or scaups, are a category of duck which feed by diving beneath the surface of the water. They are part of the diverse and very large Anatidae family that includes ducks, geese, and swans....
s, however it is larger than the closely related Lesser Scaup
Lesser Scaup
The Lesser Scaup is a small North American diving duck that migrates south as far as Central America in winter. It is colloquially known as the Little Bluebill or Broadbill because of its distinctive blue bill...
. It breeds on the ground by lakes and bogs on the tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
and at the northern limits of the boreal forest across Arctic and subarctic regions of northern North America, Europe and Asia.
The drake, or male Greater Scaup, is larger than the female, and has a more rounded head, colored black with a dark green tint. Its belly and flanks are bright white, its neck, upper chest, and tail feathers glossy black, and its lower flanks grey. The drake also has a white speculum
Speculum feathers
The speculum is a patch, often distinctly coloured, on the inner remiges of some birds.Examples of the colour of the speculum in a number of ducks are:* Common Teal and Green-winged Teal: Iridescent green edged with buff....
on its wings. The hen, or female, is mostly brown with white patches around the bill, which is a duller shade of blue than that of the male, and has grey feet and legs.
The Greater Scaup feeds by diving underwater for aquatic plants and mollusks. Its weight and webbed feet allow it to reach food up to 20 feet (6.1 m) under water.
Taxonomy
The scientific name for Greater Scaup, Aythya marila, comes from the Ancient GreekAncient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
word for an unidentified seabird. The Greater Scaup was first studied by Linnaeus in 1761. The Greater Scaups in America are distinguishable from the same species in Europe and Asia by stronger vermiculation on the mantle and scapulars, and are considered a separate subspecies, A. m. nearctica. Based on size differences, a Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
paleosubspecies, Aythya marila asphaltica, has also been described from fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s recovered at Binagady, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. The Greater Scaup's name may come from "scalp", a Scottish
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
and Northern English
Northern English
Northern English is a group of dialects of the English language. It includes the North East England dialects, which are similar in some respects to Scots....
word for a shellfish bed or from the duck's mating call: "scaup scaup".
A phylogenetic analysis of the diving duck
Diving duck
The diving ducks, commonly called pochards or scaups, are a category of duck which feed by diving beneath the surface of the water. They are part of the diverse and very large Anatidae family that includes ducks, geese, and swans....
s, examining the skeletal anatomy and skin, found that the Greater and Lesser Scaups are each others' closest relatives, with the Tufted Duck
Tufted Duck
The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
as the next closest relative of the pair.
Description
The adult Greater Scaup is 39 – long with a 71 – wingspan and a body mass of 726–1360 g (1.6–3 lb). It has a blue bill and yellow eyes and is 20% heavier and 10% longer than the closely related Lesser ScaupLesser Scaup
The Lesser Scaup is a small North American diving duck that migrates south as far as Central America in winter. It is colloquially known as the Little Bluebill or Broadbill because of its distinctive blue bill...
. The male has a dark head with a green sheen, a black breast, a light back, a black tail and a white bottom. The drake, or male Greater Scaup is larger and has a more rounded head than the female. The drake's belly and flanks are a bright white. Its neck, upper chest, and tail feathers are a glossy black, while its lower flanks are grey. The drake also has a white speculum
Speculum feathers
The speculum is a patch, often distinctly coloured, on the inner remiges of some birds.Examples of the colour of the speculum in a number of ducks are:* Common Teal and Green-winged Teal: Iridescent green edged with buff....
on its wings. The adult female has a white band at the base of the bill and a brown head and body.
Distribution and habitat
The Greater Scaup is one of the rare circumpolar ducks, which means that it's range circles one of Earth's poles. It spends the summer months in AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. The Greater Scaup also spends the Summer across the northern part of Europe. They are also found in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and the Aleutian Islands. They are found in the Aleutians year round. The summer habitat is marshy lowland tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
and islands in fresh water lakes. In the fall, the Greater Scaup populations start migrating south for the winter. They winter along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of America, the coasts of northwest Europe, the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
, the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
, the coast of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
and East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
. During the winter months, it lives in coastal bays, estuaries, and sometimes inland lakes, such as the lakes of Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
.
In Europe, the Greater Scaup spend the summers in Iceland, the northern coasts of Scandinavia, including much of the northern parts of the Baltic sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, the higher mountains of Scandinavia and the areas close to the Arctic Sea in Russia. These birds spend the winters in the British isles, western Norway, the southern tip of Sweden, the coast from Bretagne
Bretagne
Brittany ; is one of the 27 regions of France. It occupies a large peninsula in the northwest of the country, lying between the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south. Its capital is Rennes.-Territory:...
to Poland, including all of Denmark, the Alps, the eastern Adriatic sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
, the northern and western Black sea and the southwestern Caspian sea.
In North America, the Greater Scaup summers in Newfoundland
Newfoundland
Newfoundland usually refers to either:* Newfoundland, the former name of Newfoundland and Labrador, a Canadian province in the eastern part of Canada* Newfoundland , an island that forms part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador...
and Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
, along with Ungava Bay
Ungava Bay
Ungava Bay is a large bay in northeastern Canada separating Nunavik from Baffin Island. The bay is shaped like a rounded square with a side length of about and has an area of approximately...
, the Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
, Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...
, Northern Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, Northern Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, and Northern Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. It winters in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, and the entire west coast of British Columbia. It will also winter along the entire west coast of America, including the Baja Peninsula. Greater Scaup winter along the shores of the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. They also winter along the entire east coast of America, from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Breeding
Greater Scaup breed all the way from IcelandIceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
to northern Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, northern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, northern Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and the western North American Arctic. They breed in the tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
and the boreal forest; it is estimated that 75% of the North American population breed in Alaska. Greater Scaup typically nest on islands in large northern lakes. Greater Scaup begin breeding when they are two years old, although they may start nesting at age one. Drake Greater Scaup have a soft quick whistle to get the attention of hens during their courtship which takes place from late winter to early spring, on the way back to their northern breeding grounds. Hen Greater Scaup have a single pitch, raspy “arrr-arrr-arrr-arrr-arrr” sounding vocalization. The courtship procedure is complex and results in the formation of monogamous pairs. They nest in close proximity to each other in large colonies, usually near water, on an island or shoreline, or on a mat of floating vegetation. The nest consists of a shallow depression made by the hen and lined with her down. Hens lay an average of six to nine olive-buff colored eggs. After the eggs are laid, the drake Greater Scaup will abandon the hen. The incubation period for their eggs is twenty four to twenty eight days. When the baby Greater Scaup are born, they already have down and are able to follow their mother on her search for food. Although the baby Greater Scaups can swim and find food on their own soon after birth, it takes them to 40–45 days to learn how to fly. The hen Greater Scaups will often work to defend their young from predators.
Feeding
Leopard frog
Leopard frogs, also called meadow frogs, are the archetypal "grass frogs" of North America, a collection of about 14 species within the true frog genus Rana. They are generally very similar, green with prominent black spotting...
s (with body length about 5 cm (2 inches)), which they dredged out of a roadside freshwater pond. In freshwater ecosystems, the Greater Scaup will eat seeds, leaves, stems, roots, along with sedges, pondweeds, muskgrass, and wild celery. Owing to the Greater Scaup's webbed feet and weight, it can dive up to 20 feet (6.1 m) and stay submerged for up to a minute, allowing it to reach food sources that other diving ducks are unable to take advantage of.
The Greater Scaup form large rafts with other Greater Scaup, some of which can contain thousands of birds. When these rafts are in water that has a current they will face it, and as the ducks float backwards, some fly to the front of the raft to keep it in the same position. The ducks in the raft dive to obtain food, which they eat on the surface.
Threats
Common predators of the Greater Scaup consist of owlsOWLS
OWLS is a mnemonic used by general aviation airplane pilots to assess an unprepared surface for a precautionary landing.Like all mnemonics this check has become part of aviation culture and folklore.OWLS:* Obstacles* Wind direction...
, skunks, racoons, foxes, coyotes, and humans. Although the Greater Scaup has several predators, the most significant threat to its survival is habitat degradation caused by a mix of human development and runoff.
A joint group of American and Canadian scientists researching Scaup migration across the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
found that 100% of hen Greater Scaup, and 77% of hen Lesser Scaup, had escalated levels of selenium
Selenium
Selenium is a chemical element with atomic number 34, chemical symbol Se, and an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, whose properties are intermediate between those of adjacent chalcogen elements sulfur and tellurium...
in their bodies. Selenium, a naturally occurring trace element that is semi metallic, occurs in some soils and is necessary for Greater Scaup in small levels. However Selenium, in large enough levels, can cause reproductive harm and is highly toxic. On their migration across the Great Lakes, Greater Scaups are at risk of ingesting selenium by eating the invasive zebra mussels, which can render a hen sterile.This sterilization of hens is causing the population to decrease.
Conservation
During aerial population surveys Greater and Lesser Scaup are counted together, because they look almost identical from the air. It was estimated that the Greater Scaup made up about 11% of the continental Scaup population. Since the 1980s, scaup populations have been steadily decreasing. Some of the primary factors contributing to this decline are habitat loss, contaminants, changes in breeding habitat, and a lower female survival rate. The 2010 Scaup population survey was 4.2 million Scaup. Along with the aerial population surveys, there is a banding program for the Greater Scaup. Metalic leg bands are placed on them, so that if the Scaup is killed by a hunter or if it is captured by another banding group, the number on the band can be reported to biologists and wildlife organizations. These banding programs yield valuable data about migration patterns, harvest rates, and survival rates.A major threat to the Greater Scaup is habitat degradation in the Atlantic Flyway
Atlantic Flyway
The Atlantic Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Atlantic Coast of North America and the Appalachian Mountains. The main endpoints of the flyway include the Canadian Maritimes and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico; the migration route tends to narrow considerably in...
. Since 80% of the Greater Scaup population winters in the urbanized part of the Atlantic Flyway, these ducks are subject to higher levels of organic contaminates, along with increased levels of heavy metals in foods and habitat, and in some cases, the Greater Scaup themselves.
Human interactions
Greater Scaup are a popular game bird in North America and Europe. They are hunted in Denmark, Germany, Greece, France the United Kingdom, and Ireland, and in Iran for both sport and commercial reasons. Greater Scaup are hunted with shotguns, because they must be shot on the fly. Hunting Greater Scaup is very challenging, as they can fly at up to 75 miles per hour, which makes shooting them in flight very difficult. Greater Scaup are hunted from shorelines and in open water blinds or layout boats, low-profile kayakKayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
-like boats that hunters lie inside. 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.
Further reading
- Splitting headaches? Recent taxonomic changes affecting the British and Western Palaearctic lists - Martin Collinson, British BirdsBritish Birds (magazine)British Birds is a monthly ornithology magazine that was established in 1907. It is now published by BB 2000 Ltd, which is wholly owned by The British Birds Charitable Trust , established for the benefit of British ornithology...
vol 99 (June 2006), 306-323 - Madge and Burn, Wildfowl ISBN 0-7470-2201-1