[TN-Bird] Re: Greater Scaup, Yes!

  • From: Bill Pulliam <littlezz@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: Tn bird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2013 13:43:03 -0600

Following up on Dean's observation, he sent me a couple of photos which he has not had time to edit or post himself I attached the side view of the bird here. Indeed everything about this bird indicates Lesser Scaup except for the green head sheen, which is notoriously unreliable. Note especially the "top knot" fluff atop the head behind the bird's eye, and the dingy sides that show no sharp contrast with the back. If this is the same bird seen previously, then I'd say all the sightings should be recorded as Lesser Scaup, not Greater Scaup.
Now, it is ALWAYS worth looking for Greaters, as they CAN show up almost anywhere! I have even seen one on a pond that was little more than a mud puddle in a hayfield; granted, it was less than a mile from the Tennessee River and close to Pickwick Lake, but it was the only scaup I saw the entire day. Most Tennessee Greaters are on or near big water, but not always. Potential Greaters in unusual spots should be identified by a combination of characters, as any single one can lead you astray from time to time. Wing stripe, head shape, bill nail, side-back contrast on males, extent and crispness of white at base of bill on females, presence or absence of a pale cheek patch on females, every one of these marks can go the "wrong" way in some birds. But usually with a good view the preponderance of the evidence will point you one way or the other with pretty good certainty. And if you don't get the good view or the marks just don't sort out clearly one way or the other, well that's why we put the line for "scaup, sp." on the checklists. 

Bill Pulliam
Hohenwald TN

On Dec 18, 2013, at 9:42 AM, kde@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
I ran by the Pellissippi State pond this morning to look for the Greater Scaup reported yesterday. I found the (a) bird, but I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with the ID and call this a Lesser Scaup (at least the bird 
that was there this morning).  Some key points...
- head peaks behind the eye with a slight tuft... not rounded with peak 
toward the front
- nail on bill is very thin and neat... not broad and messy
- flanks are dark grey... not bright white
- head-on profile is rather thin
- head gloss changed with angle, mostly appearing green but occassionally 
purplish

Head gloss can point you in a direction for scaup ID but should not be
used alone because, as in this case, the direction it points you can often 
be wrong.

Dean Edwards
Knoxville, TN

JPEG image

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