I would suggest looking at pictures, properly scaled, of the species in question. A Scaup is just bigger, with a bigger bill. A teal bill is fairly "dainty" compared to a scaup.





Hal Michael
Science Outreach Director, Sustainable Fisheries Foundation
Olympia WA
360-459-4005
360-791-7702 (C)
ucd880 at comcast.net

----- Original Message -----

I have had several replies suggesting I might have seen a female Scaup
or Barrow's Golden Eye and it was definitely not a Golden Eye- no other
bright patches of white. I was using Morse, Aversa & Opperman's Birds
of the Puget Sound Region (it is small, easy to carry). I have just
looked in 3 other field guides and I still think I saw a Blue- winged
Teal as the crescent was exactly like the one in Birds of the Puget
Sound Region - very defined, long and arching back in front of the eye.
In all the books I have the Scaup white behind the bill is thicker and
does not arch up around the eye to the top of the head. But again, I am
only a beginner, it was cold so I did not spend much time looking at the
bird so I can only say I think it was a Teal but unless someone more
knowledgeable sees it and can confirm we will have to say maybe.
Margaret Sandelin

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