Lesser Scaup
Aythya affinis
Often nicknamed 'Bluebills,' these ducks are expert divers, capable of reaching depths of 15 feet to forage on the lake bottom.
- Scientific name
- Aythya affinis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Anseriformes › Anatidae › Aythya
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Freshwater wetlands, prairie potholes, lakes, and brackish coastal bays during winter.
- Diet
- Omnivorous; primarily consumes aquatic invertebrates like mollusks and insects, along with seeds and aquatic plants.
- Range
- North America, Central America, Northern South America
- Size
- Length: 38-48 cm, Wingspan: 68-75 cm
- Lifespan
- 10-15 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss, wetland degradation, lead poisoning from ingested fishing weights, and climate change.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and shy. Maintain a distance of at least 50 feet to avoid flushing them from their feeding or resting grounds. If the birds begin swimming away or flapping their wings, you are too close.
The lesser scaup ( Aythya affinis ) 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 origin of the name scaup may stem from the bird's preference for feeding on scalp—the Scottish word for clams, oysters, and mussels; however, some credit it to the female's discordant scaup call as the name's source. It...
Photo: Matt Felperin, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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