# Lesser Scaup (*Aythya affinis*) The Lesser Scaup is a small duck with a round head and a beautiful blue bill. They love to swim in lakes and ponds, diving underwater to find tasty plants and small fish. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 11 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Lesser Scaup](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Aythya_affinis.JPG&width=800) Photo: Basar, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aythya_affinis.JPG) ## Appearance The Lesser Scaup is a medium-sized diving duck. Males have a dark, purplish-glossed head, a grey back, and bright white sides. Females are duller brown with a distinct white patch at the base of their bill and a dark crown, making them visually different from similar ducks. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Aythya ## Interesting facts - Male Lesser Scaups perform a special head-toss display to attract a mate! - Some Lesser Scaups travel over 5,000 kilometers each year during their amazing migrations. - They are nicknamed "bluebills" because their unique bill often has a bluish-grey color! - They use their strong, flat bills like shovels to pry mussels and snails from the lakebed. ## Special abilities - **Deep Dive Dynamo:** Lesser Scaup can dive up to 20 feet because of their dense bones and powerful webbed feet that help them reach underwater food. - **Sonar Vision:** Lesser Scaup has excellent underwater eyesight that helps them spot tiny mussels and aquatic insects in murky waters. - **Mega-Flock Formation:** Lesser Scaup can gather in huge groups, called rafts, that helps them stay safe from predators and find food together. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 38-48 cm - **Wingspan:** 68-76 cm - **Weight:** 0.7-1.2 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-18 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 6-15 - **Incubation:** 21-27 days - **Migration Distance:** 5000 km ## Diet & Feeding They dive deep to feast on tasty shellfish and aquatic bugs from the bottom of lakes and ponds. - **Age differences:** Ducklings primarily eat aquatic insects, while adults consume more mollusks and some plant matter. - **Primary Foods:** Freshwater Mussels, Snails, Aquatic Insect Larvae, Small Crustaceans, Aquatic Plant Seeds - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Zebra Mussel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/zebra-mussel) (*Dreissena polymorpha*) — A major invasive food source - **Eats:** Freshwater Mussel (*Lampsilis siliquoidea*) — Key part of their natural diet - **Eaten by:** [Bald Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bald-eagle) (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) — Often preys on adult ducks - **Eaten by:** [American Mink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-mink) (*Mustela vison*) — Raids nests and eats ducklings - **Eats:** Giant Water Beetle (*Hydrophilus triangularis*) — Eats larvae of this species ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch ducks from a distance and don't feed them bread. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Lesser Scaup? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Lesser Scaup? 38-48 cm ### What is Lesser Scaup's wingspan? 68-76 cm ### How much does Lesser Scaup weigh? 0.7-1.2 kg ### How long does Lesser Scaup live? 5-18 years ### How fast can Lesser Scaup move? 70 km/h ### What does Lesser Scaup eat? They dive deep to feast on tasty shellfish and aquatic bugs from the bottom of lakes and ponds. ### Where is Lesser Scaup usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mitchell-park-horticultural-conservatory) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Algiers Point](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/algiers-point) — Louisiana, US · Neighborhood - [Assinins](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/assinins) — Michigan, US · Neighborhood - [Child of the Sun](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/child-of-the-sun) — Florida, US · Historic District - [Cora](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cora) — Wyoming, US · Neighborhood - [Dundy County Courthouse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dundy-county-courthouse) — Nebraska, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Lesser Scaup](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/lesser-scaup) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Lesser Scaup: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lesser-scaup)