Last week I checked out this male scaup on the main pond with my
scope, and I now share Connie's thought that it is a Lesser Scaup. Of
the three main things I check, the rounded head seemed more like a
Greater. However, I did get a purple iridescence consistent with the
Lesser. And, finally, my view of a small nail (black tip) at the end of
the bill pushed me in favor of the Lesser. One bright day at Stanley
Park in Vancouver, B.C. I had a good close-up view of both species, and
the difference in the nail in that setting was quite impressive.
The resource I carry with me to provide back-up maximum assistance
for these tough decisions is Kenn Kaufman's "Advanced Birding". This
inexpensive black & white guide has 5 pages devoted to this differential
between the scaups. Kenn closes with a paragraph on hybrids, and adds,
"The message is that not every scaup can be safely named, and you should
be willing to let a bird go if it doesn't look quite right".
Any others with thoughts on this bird?
Fran Wood (male), Seattle, WA
<fbwood at u.washington.edu>