Scaup are diving ducks with a resemblance to tufted ducks. Males have black heads, shoulder and breast, white flanks, grey back and a black tail. Females are brown, with characteristic white patches around the base of the bill. In flight they show white patches along the length of the trailing edge of the wing. Only a handful breed in the UK every year, making them our rarest breeding duck.
Key ID Features:
Often seen among flocks of Tufted Ducks and Pochard, with which they share similarities.
Winter males have black head with greenish irridescence and a steep forehead, white flanks turning to grey over the back and a black, round tail.
Broad blue grey bills with small black tip.
Females have a rich, brown head with a white blaze at the base of the bill.
Overview
Scientific name: Aythya marila
Family: Swans, ducks and geese (Anatidae)
Where to see them:
Best looked for in winter on estuaries such as the Dee in Cheshire, the Solway Firth, the Firth of Forth and the Moray Firth. Also, look on enclosed waters such as Lough Neagh in Ireland. A small number occur inland on deeper waters, where they associate with pochards and tufted ducks.
Seen in UK:
Mainly in winter, from late October to March.
What they eat
Shellfish, crustacea and small insects..
Text (c) RSPB, used with permission
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Location: Poole Park, Dorset
Photographer: Tim Tapley
