Scaup

At a glance

Scaup (Aythya marila) is an IUCN Least Concern birds regulated in 2 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.

The strictest bag limit is 1 (Arkansas); the most generous is 2 (Tennessee).

Confirmed by 21,351 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, Ontario, and British Columbia the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Greater Scaup breeds on subarctic tundra and boreal wetlands across North America and Eurasia.
• Forms winter rafts of thousands of birds on coastal bays and the Great Lakes.
• Its rounded head shows a green iridescent sheen, distinguishing it from the Lesser Scaup.
• Dives up to 6 meters deep to feed on mussels, clams, and other mollusks.
• Can live up to 20 years in the wild.

Where Scaup are seen

• California4,405 iNat obs
• Ontario4,236 iNat obs
• British Columbia1,345 iNat obs
• Illinois1,126 iNat obs
• New York1,034 iNat obs
• Nova Scotia996 iNat obs

Jurisdictions with rules for Scaup

• ArkansasUnited States · official source
• TennesseeUnited States · official source

Background

The greater scaup (Aythya marila), just scaup in Europe or, colloquially, "bluebill" in North America, is a mid-sized diving duck, larger than the closely related lesser scaup. It spends the summer months breeding in Alaska, northern Canada, Siberia, and the northernmost reaches of Europe. During the winter, it migrates south to the coasts of North America, Europe, and Japan.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Scaup article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Other birds on CatchRules

• PintailAnas acuta
• RedheadAythya americana
• Mottled DuckAnas fulvigula