Lesser scaup

Scientific name: Aythya affinis

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Males display a dark head with purple iridescence, white sides, and gray back; females are brown with a white patch at the bill base. This is a small diving duck noticeably smaller than Greater scaup, with a peaked crown and minimal facial profile.

Size and weight

Males 340–450 g, females 310–400 g; body length 38–46 cm.

Habitat

Lesser scaup occupy freshwater and brackish lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and coastal bays with open water and nearby vegetation. They prefer deeper water bodies than many dabbling ducks and tolerate both prairie pothole country and coastal marshes.

Distribution

Breeds across northern prairie regions and boreal zones from central Canada to Alaska; winters primarily on coastal bays and inland reservoirs throughout North America, concentrating in southern U.S. and Mexico.

Diet

Lesser scaup dive for aquatic invertebrates (amphipods, chironomid larvae, snails) and pondweeds; diet shifts toward seeds and vegetation in autumn and winter.

Behaviour

Diurnal and crepuscular forager, spending much of the day rafted in small to large flocks on open water. Highly social and gregarious; males and females segregate seasonally.

Hunting tips

Glass rafted birds from distance using terrain contours and vegetation for cover approach; scaup are wary and flush readily. Decoy spreads over deeper water (3–6 m) with open lanes mimic natural raft formation; use mixed diver rigs with emphasis on scaup profiles. Call sparingly—these ducks are relatively quiet; rely on movement and timing to capitalize on feeding or movement between water bodies at dawn and dusk.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 8 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.