IHEA logo Guide to Wildlife Identification

What You Should Know | Finding Wildlife | Game or Non-Game | Techniques | Signs | Distribution | Warning for Hunters | Final Quiz | Over 100 Wildlife Fact Sheets


Greater Scaup

(Aythya merila)

Other common names: bluebill

Size:

  • 18 in. (46 cm).
  • Weighs about 2-1/2 lb. (1 kg).

Distribution in North America:

range maprange map legend

Habitat:

  • Ponds, rivers, lakes and bays.
  • Eats aquatic plants, insects, mollusks and snails.

Notes:

  • Very similar to lesser scaup, but male is whiter with a rounder head and a larger black tip on the bill.

Be sure to check local regulations for hunting or trapping information on this species.

home next back