Greater Scaup (Aythya marila), Liz's Grove, Dudleyville, Pinal County

This Greater Scaup was found and photographed by Michael Moore on 15 March 2008.  It was seen from the Liz's Grove birding area in Dudleyville looking north into the small ponds that are on the adjacent Nature Conservancy property. 

Greater Scaup is uncommon during winter in the Colorado River Valley. Elsewhere in Arizona it is a rare but regular transient and winter visitor, probably both frequently overlooked and frequently misidentified.

Identification of lone scaup can be very tricky. This bird was in a small pond with two female Ring-necked Ducks. It was noticeably bulkier than the Ring-necks. The bird obligingly flapped during the first photo, displaying the diagnostic long white wing stripe that extends across all the primaries. In the second picture, note the rounded head profile, large bill with large nail at the end.  The photos have some distortion because they had to be shot through some bushes. 

Submitting photos to AZFO does not constitute reporting a rare bird for consideration as an official record. To ensure that a record becomes official, details or photos of Sketch Details Species should be sent to the Editors of North American Birds and a full report of Review Species should be submitted to the Arizona Bird Committee. Most rare birds are under documented and subsequent observers of a rarity are always encouraged to submit reports and additional photos, especially for birds that are challenging to identify.

15 March 2008 photos by Michael Moore