picture by J R Compton. http://www.JRCompton.com/photos/The_Birds/J/
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Welcome to the world of the Lesser Scaup! The Lesser Scaup is a very interesting species of diving duck that is found primarily in North America and is actually one of the most populous ducks in the area.
Lesser Scaup, also known as Aythya affinis, are medium
sized birds that prefer freshwater for their daily living, as
opposed to saltwater which is the preference of their closest
relation, the Greater Sca
up(Aythya
marila). Both genders of Lesser Scaup have yellow eyes but
other than this, differ greatly in appearance. The male Lesser Scaup
is mostly black, with a white belly and sides as well as
grayish-black lined feathers along their backs. Males also, when
seen at the right angle, have a purple iridescence along the sides
of their head and neck. Females, on the other hand, can be
identified by their primarily brown coloring, aside from small areas
of white located at the base of their bills and bellies.
image courtesy of J R Compton
http://www.JRCompton.com/photos/The_Birds/J/
Read on about the Classification
of Aythya affinis Go to
Multiple Organisms