Bird
Bird
Lesser Scaup
Aythya affinis
The Lesser Scaup is a diving duck that visits Trinidad's open freshwater and brackish wetlands in the northern winter, diving well below the surface for aquatic plants and invertebrates rather than dabbling at the surface.
The Lesser Scaup is a diving duck that visits Trinidad's open freshwater and brackish wetlands in the northern winter, diving well below the surface for aquatic plants and invertebrates rather than dabbling at the surface.
Identification
A medium-sized diving duck around 40 to 46 cm long. Breeding males have a black head with a subtle purplish sheen, a pale grey back, and black breast and rear; females are brown overall with a bold white patch at the base of the bill. Both sexes have a pale blue-grey bill with a small black nail at the tip.
Migration
A non-breeding migrant present in Trinidad during the northern winter, having bred on lakes across Canada and Alaska. It winters throughout the Caribbean, and is absent from Trinidad outside this non-breeding season.
Status in T&T
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to open freshwater and brackish wetlands in Trinidad, diving for aquatic plants, molluscs, and other invertebrates. Not considered threatened, and it is protected as a migratory species under the Conservation of Wildlife Act.
