Lesser Scaup vs Wandering Whistling-duck
Aythya affinis compared with Dendrocygna arcuata
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Lesser Scaup | Wandering Whistling-duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Aythya affinis | Dendrocygna arcuata |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.6 cm (15.6 in) | 37.2 cm (14.6 in) |
| Weight | 853.75 g (30.12 oz) | 779.5 g (27.50 oz) |
| Diet | Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates in coastal habitats; hard-shelled benthic prey dominates diet. | Eats grasses, sedges, and aquatic plants in tundra; winter diet of coastal salt marsh grasses … |
| Clutch Size | 6-14 | 6-15 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Lesser Scaup
Breeds on boreal lakes, ponds, and wetlands in Canada and Alaska. Winters on large lakes, reservoirs, coastal bays, and freshwater across the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America. Often in large rafts.
Wandering Whistling-duck
Tropical freshwater marshes, flooded grasslands, swamps, and lake margins from the Philippines and Indonesia through Papua New Guinea to northern and eastern Australia. Nomadic following wet season flooding.
Song & Call Comparison
Lesser Scaup
Male produces a soft, low purring call; female gives a harsh, nasal scaup sound. Voice nearly identical to Greater Scaup but slightly higher; flocks create a burbling, nasal chatter.
Wandering Whistling-duck
A soft whistle 'whi-whi-whi' in flight. Less vocal than other whistling-ducks; flocks tend to be quieter. Given at dawn and dusk during flight to roosting or feeding areas.
Geographic Range & Migration
Lesser Scaup
Breeds in the forested interior of central Canada; winters on large lakes and rivers of the southeastern United States.
Wandering Whistling-duck
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic regions; winters at sea around the Antarctic pack ice, one of the longest migrations known.
Conservation Status
Lesser Scaup
Wandering Whistling-duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Lesser Scaup
Males have peaked purple-glossed black head; white flanks; black breast and undertail; gray back. Yellow eye. Smaller than Greater Scaup with peaked crown. Females dark brown with white face patch. …
Wandering Whistling-duck
Rich chestnut-brown head and neck; dark brown back. Flanks rufous with pale buff streaks and dark spots. Belly blackish. Long, dark pinkish legs. Upright posture typical of whistling-ducks. Sexes similar.
About These Birds
Lesser Scaup
A medium-sized diving duck nearly identical to Greater Scaup but with a peaked purple-glossed head, narrower bill nail, and smaller white wing stripe. The most abundant diving duck in North America. Breeds in boreal Canada and Alaska; winters across the southern United States and beyond.
Wandering Whistling-duck
A medium-sized whistling-duck with rufous-brown body, dark brown back, pale buff underparts, and a chestnut collar. Found in tropical wetlands from Indonesia to Australia and Pacific islands. Highly social and nomadic. Forages by dabbling and diving in shallow freshwater.