Lesser Scaup
Learn to identify the Lesser Scaup by ear. Master the "soft purrrr-witz" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Lesser Scaup sounds like
The Lesser Scaup is a medium-sized diving duck most often seen bobbing in dense, rafting flocks on open water. Males in breeding plumage sport a glossy black head that can shimmer violet or green in the right light, a finely barred gray back, and a crisp black rear, while females are warm brown with a distinct whitish patch at the base of the bill. Agile underwater pursuit hunters, they can dive more than 20 feet to pluck prey from muddy lake bottoms.
“soft purrrr-witz”
How to tell it apart
Where you'll hear it
Prefers large freshwater lakes, prairie potholes, reservoirs, and broad rivers during the breeding season; shifts to coastal bays, estuaries, and sheltered saltwater in winter.
Strongly migratory: heads north in March–May to nest; southbound migration peaks September–November; gathers in huge wintering rafts through February.
Similar species
Greater Scaup
Broader, rounded head profile without peak.
Ring-necked Duck
Shows vertical white bar at base of gray bill.
Tufted Duck (vagrant)
Male sports a long drooping crest at rear crown.