Lesser scaup

Female lesser scaup swimming on rippled water, white patch at the base of the bill

The lesser scaup is a small diving duck of open water, and the most numerous scaup in Manitoba. The female is dark brown with a clean white patch at the base of her bill, while the male has a glossy dark head, a pale gray back, and white flanks. A slight peak toward the back of the head helps separate a lesser scaup from a greater scaup.

Lesser scaup nest in the marshes and ponds of the parkland and boreal forest, then gather in large rafts on lakes during spring and fall migration. Early spring, soon after the ice goes out, is a good time to find them on open water, diving for aquatic insects, snails, and plants.

To learn more about this bird and its habitat, visit the lesser scaup page at All About Birds.

This is my only frame of a lesser scaup so far, a female taken one April morning as she swam across rippling water, and I am still out bird watching for a better image.

Field notes in photographs

  • Female lesser scaup swimming on rippled water, white patch at the base of the bill

Lesser scaup Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the lesser scaup in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the lesser scaup nests, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the lesser scaup in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting across the northern forests and the Prairies (gold). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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