Is this a female Scaup?

Hi

to me it's a Tuftie-

It looks neatly proportioned- not heavy
Rounded rear end- not big and sloping
Contrast between upperparts and flanks- with no grey vermiculations on the former

Other additional features:

Uniform ear coverts - no pale mark
White face patch goes under the bill - but isn't very extensive
Visible white undertail patch

To me Scaup have a different head shape- a steep forehead and a big rounded nape

S

Thanks S, I'll bow to your knowledge and experience.
Do you perhaps have a photo that you've taken yourself of a female Scaup so that I can make a comparison ?

Hi

try this link- www.birdguides.com/.../

S

Thanks S. I think I would still struggle to tell the difference in the field. I've amended my file to rename them to Tufted Duck

Hi

try this- male and female Scaup

S

I'm not sure if these help, Tony, but here are some I've taken. First winter male Scaup (it was January) with adult (I think) females. There were 2 males and 3 females on this reservoir at the time and they remained slightly separate from the Tufties.

The middle female shows the paler ear coverts but the front one doesn't - maybe because it's winter (or bad lighting conditions). Both females show the greyish flecks on the flanks or whatever technical term S used, but not so much on the back. Personally, I'm sceptical of head shape when taken from limited photos, as I believe it depends a lot on pose, eg the middle female has a very sloped forehead maybe because she's holding her head down. I always think Scaup have more sloped foreheads than Tufties (based on my own photos), but experts define them as steep. Make of that what you will! See the next one where the male Tufty is steeper than the Scaup it's passing (yes I know its beak is at a different angle but it still seems steeper in the Tufty). To me, female foreheads seem to be less steep than the males in both species. That said, I do agree the overall head shape is probably more rounded in Tufties but still very pose dependant and so not easy for my limited experience. Consequently, I would normally be reluctant to call a female Scaup based on head shape alone. Sometimes I can tell, but perhaps more often I can't. Certainly these don't show pale/white under the tail (I hadn't heard that one). I do think it is usually easier to tell a female Scaup in the field than from someone else's photos as you have time to see it over a period and notice the little differences, like the chunkier looking bill (or is that just me that thinks they look a bit chunkier?)

Others from the same time

... Just my personal views from fairly limited experience.

Hi

all 4 Scaup- :) Note the lack of contrast between back and flanks and grey suffusion in both areas on the late juv / 1st winter type- Nice classic 1st winter male too

S

This is a regular id debate around wetlands when we are allowed to get close enough to have such discussions. IMO the original photo was a Tufted,some great photos followed, great discussion thread

Hi

if you get a good view of a Scaup from head-on it is broader in the beam than a Tuftie :)

S