Greater Scaup

Aythya marila

With its distinctive diving prowess and striking plumage, this sea duck is a favorite among coastal birdwatchers worldwide.

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Visual Identification

Appearance

The Greater Scaup is a medium-sized diving duck with a distinctive rounded head and blue-grey bill. Males in breeding plumage have a glossy black head, neck, and breast, contrasting with a white body and grey back. The wings feature white patches visible in flight.

Females are predominantly brown, with a white patch at the base of the bill. Both sexes have yellow eyes. In non-breeding plumage, males resemble females but retain darker head coloration.

Juvenile scaup are similar in appearance to females but have less vivid white facial markings and are a duller, paler shade of brown all over.

Size

Length

39cm to 56cm

Wingspan

71cm to 84cm

Weight

726g to 1.36kg

Colours

Male Female

Primary Colour

Black White

Secondary Colour

Grey

Beak Colour

Blue Grey

Leg Colour

Grey

Primary Colour (Female)

Brown

Secondary Colour (Female)

White

Beak Colour (Female)

Grey

Leg Colour (Female)

Grey

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Greater Scaup is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Greater Scaup is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Greater Scaup can be found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Greater Scaup can be found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Greater Scaup is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Greater Scaup is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Greater Scaup is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Greater Scaup is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Greater Scaup is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Greater Scaup is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Greater Scaup is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Greater Scaup is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Greater Scaups inhabit coastal marine areas, large lakes, and deep freshwater marshes. They breed in the boreal and subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia, including Alaska, Canada, and northern Europe.

During winter, they migrate to coastal areas and large inland water bodies. In North America, they are common along both coasts and the Great Lakes- mainly to the Atlantic coast states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

In Europe, they winter around the British Isles (particularly in Scotland and Northern Ireland), the Baltic Sea, and other coastal regions.

Elevation Range

Sea level to 1,000 meters

Climate zones

Temperate, Subarctic

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Greater Scaup. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons