Home/Species/ Lesser Scaup

Aythya affinis

(Eyton, 1838)

Lesser Scaup

G5Secure Found in 67 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104109

Element CodeABNJB11070

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassAves

OrderAnseriformes

FamilyAnatidae

GenusAythya

Other Common Names

lesser scaup (EN) Pato Boludo-Menor (ES) Petit fuligule (FR)

Concept Reference

American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.

Conservation Status

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2016-04-06

Change Date1996-11-21

Edition Date2014-03-17

Edition AuthorsJue, Dean K.

Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences81 to >300

Rank Reasons

Despite declines, numbers are still high relative to many other species.

Range Extent Comments

BREEDING: central Alaska and Mackenzie Delta to northern Manitoba and northern Ontario south to southern British Columbia, northern Idaho, northern Wyoming, northern North Dakota, and Minnesota, casually or irregularly east to central Quebec and south to Washington, central California, northern Utah, central Colorado, central Nebraska, northwestern Iowa, central Illinois, and northern Ohio (AOU 1998). NON-BREEDING: southern Alaska, and from southern British Columbia, southern Idaho, Utah, northeastern Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, southern Great Lakes region, and New England south throughout the southern U.S., Middle America, and West Indies to northern Colombia, northern Venezuela (very small number at southern limit of this range); small numbers in Hawaii. Primary wintering areas in the U.S. include the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains, Mississippi Valley north to the Ohio River, and the Pacific states, plus southern British Columbia; the highest densities occur in southern Florida and along the Mississippi River (Root 1988).

Occurrences Comments

This is one of the most common breeding waterfowl in the open boreal forests of Alaska, Yukon, and NW Territories (Austin, Custer, and Afton, 1998).

Threat Impact Comments

Degradation of habitat is the major threat to this species (Austin, Custer, and Afton, 1998).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

BREEDING: Marshes, ponds, and small lakes (AOU 1998). Usually nests near small ponds and lakes, sedge meadows, creeks; in cover 1-2 ft high, within 46 m of water. Often nest on islands among colonies of gulls or terns. NON-BREEDING: During migration and when not breeding, found along coast in sheltered bays, estuaries, and marshes or inland on lakes, ponds, and rivers; on salt water especially if lakes and ponds frozen. In southern winter range, prefers freshwater ponds, lakes, and sloughs with reasonably clear water 1 m or more deep (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Ecology

NON-BREEDING: usually in flocks on open water (Ridgely and Gwynne 1989).

Reproduction

Egg-laying begins in early May in the south to mid-June in the north. Clutch size: 6-15 (usually 9-12, largest in older females). Incubation: 22-27 days, by female (Terres 1980). Young are tended by female. Variable percentage of yearling females do not breed.

Palustrine Habitats

HERBACEOUS WETLANDRiparian

Other Nations (2)

United StatesN5B,N5N

Province	Rank	Native
Colorado	S4B	Yes
Alaska	S3N,S5B	Yes
Rhode Island	SNA	Yes
District of Columbia	S2N	Yes
Tennessee	S4N	Yes
Georgia	S5	Yes
Alabama	S5N	Yes
West Virginia	S3N	Yes
Maryland	S4N	Yes
Missouri	SNRN,SNRM	Yes
Massachusetts	S5N	Yes
Connecticut	SNA	Yes
North Dakota	SNRB	Yes
Kansas	S4N	Yes
Utah	SHB,S3N	Yes
North Carolina	S5N	Yes
Kentucky	S4N	Yes
New Jersey	SNRN	Yes
Texas	S3B,S5N	Yes
Illinois	SNA	Yes
California	SNRB,SNRN	Yes
Minnesota	SNRB,SNRM	Yes
Nebraska	S4	Yes
Delaware	S3N	Yes
South Dakota	S4B	Yes
Iowa	S5N	Yes
Oregon	S3B,S4N	Yes
Vermont	SNA	Yes
Indiana	S4N	Yes
Wyoming	S3B,S4N	Yes
Arizona	S5N	Yes
Oklahoma	SNRN	Yes
New Mexico	S4B,S5N	Yes
Hawaii	SNA	Yes
Arkansas	S4N	Yes
Pennsylvania	S3N,S5M	Yes
Michigan	SNRN	Yes
Wisconsin	S4N	Yes
Idaho	S3B,S4N	Yes
Virginia	SNRN	Yes
South Carolina	S4N	Yes
Montana	S5B	Yes
Mississippi	S4N	Yes
Florida	S5N	Yes
Nevada	S2B,S3N	Yes
New Hampshire	SNA	Yes
Navajo Nation	S4N	Yes
Washington	S3N,S4B	Yes
Maine	S2N	Yes
Louisiana	S3N	Yes

CanadaN5B,N5N

Province	Rank	Native
Alberta	S5B	Yes
British Columbia	S5B,S5N	Yes
Quebec	S4B	Yes
Labrador	S4B,SUM	Yes
Prince Edward Island	SUM	Yes
Island of Newfoundland	S3N,SUM	Yes
Manitoba	S5B	Yes
New Brunswick	S1B,S4M	Yes
Nunavut	SUB	Yes
Nova Scotia	SUM	Yes
Saskatchewan	S5B	Yes
Ontario	S4B,S4N,S5M	Yes
Yukon Territory	S4B	Yes
Northwest Territories	S3	Yes

Roadless Areas (67)

Alaska (10)

Area	Forest	Acres
Johnson Pass	Chugach National Forest	152,508
Kenai Lake	Chugach National Forest	213,172
Kenai Mountains	Chugach National Forest	306,600
North Baranof	Tongass National Forest	314,089
North Revilla	Tongass National Forest	215,430
Redoubt	Tongass National Forest	68,347
Resurrection	Chugach National Forest	224,615
Revilla	Tongass National Forest	29,298
Roaded Donut	Chugach National Forest	968
Sitka Urban	Tongass National Forest	112,003

Arizona (4)

Area	Forest	Acres
Goldfield	Tonto National Forest	15,257
Mazatzal	Tonto National Forest	16,942
Pinaleno	Coronado National Forest	130,920
Tumacacori	Coronado National Forest	44,594

California (7)

Area	Forest	Acres
City Creek	San Bernardino National Forest	9,997
Deep Creek	San Bernardino National Forest	23,869
Devil's Gate (CA)	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	9,946
Hoover - North	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	1,574
Iceberg - Mill Creek	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	26,988
Mt. Jackson	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	20,721
Sespe - Frazier	Los Padres National Forest	106,910

Colorado (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Dome Peak	Routt NF	35,716

Idaho (3)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bear Creek	Caribou-Targhee National Forest	118,582
Hoodoo	Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest	153,868
Palisades	Caribou-Targhee National Forest	122,002

Montana (10)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - Swan	Lolo National Forest	118,485
Bmss Ra 1485	Flathead National Forest	334,275
Cube Iron - Silcox	Lolo National Forest	36,998
Ellis Canyon	Helena National Forest	5,578
Freezeout Mountain	Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest	97,305
Gallatin Fringe	Gallatin National Forest	51,571
Madison	Gallatin National Forest	127,859
Mt. Gmt Area H	Custer National Forest	1,335
North Absaroka	Gallatin National Forest	159,075
Selway - Bitterroot (01067)	Bitterroot National Forest	114,953

Nevada (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Pearl Peak	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	71,405

New Mexico (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold Wilderness	Gila National Forest	111,883
Meadow Creek	Gila National Forest	34,167

Oregon (5)

Area	Forest	Acres
Drift Creek	Siuslaw National Forest	6,333
Mt. Jefferson	Deschutes National Forest	2,282
Mt. Bailey	Umpqua National Forest	18,401
Sky Lakes A	Winema National Forest	3,940
Tahkenitch	Siuslaw National Forest	5,799

South Dakota (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Indian Creek	Buffalo Gap National Grassland	24,666

Tennessee (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Big Laurel Branch Addition	Cherokee National Forest	5,577

Texas (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Big Creek	National Forests in Texas	1,447

Utah (7)

Area	Forest	Acres
418025	Uinta National Forest	32,698
Clarkston Mtn.	Caribou National Forest	7,099
Cottonwood	Dixie National Forest	6,754
Hog Ranch	Dixie National Forest	17,130
Lava Beds	Dixie National Forest	14,944
Little Creek	Fishlake National Forest	11,479
Wellsville	Wasatch-Cache National Forest	1,717

Virginia (3)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bear Creek	Jefferson National Forest	18,274
Little Walker Mountain	Jefferson National Forest	9,818
Mountain Lake Addition B (VA)	Jefferson National Forest	3,405

West Virginia (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Middle Mountain	Monongahela National Forest	19,020
Mountain Lake Addition B (WV)	Jefferson National Forest	557

Wyoming (9)

Area	Forest	Acres
Grayback Ridge	Bridger-Teton National Forest	295,113
Gros Ventre Mountains	Bridger-Teton National Forest	106,418
Mosquito Lake - Seven Lakes	Bridger-Teton National Forest	51,950
Palisades	Targhee National Forest	1,121
Warm Spring Creek	Shoshone National Forest	6,216
West Slope Tetons	Targhee National Forest	47,448
West Slope Winds	Bridger-Teton National Forest	143,252
Wilderness Study Area	Targhee National Forest	51,961
Winegar Hole	Targhee National Forest	247

References (31)

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