Greater Scaup
Male Medium-sized diving duck with an evenly rounded head and a yellow eye. Dark head, chest, and rear contrasts with white sides and gray back. Greenish iridescence on head only visible with ideal lighting. |
Female Medium-sized diving duck with rounded head and fairly heavy, broad bill. Warm brownish overall, with white facial patch next to bill and a yellow eye. |
Lesser Scaup
Male Medium-sized diving duck with a tall, peaked head. Glossy black head, front, and rear with a gray back and white sides. Head is purplish-iridescent, but is only visible with ideal lighting. |
Female Medium-sized diving duck with a tall, peaked head and a fairly straight bill. Females are rich brown overall, with a darker head and white patch next to the bill. Note that the back of the head is flat. |
The back of the head is rounder than on Lesser Scaup. The head also appears more peaked in front of the head.
© Rajdeep Mitra | Macaulay Library