January saw two new admissions to the Wildlife Center for care, with both duck species being non-native to Virginia: the ruddy duck and the lesser scaup. Both of these duck species are migratory. They ...

Lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) populations have been declining since the late 1970s. One of the explanations to account for this decline, the spring-condition hypothesis (SCH), is based on the premise ...

The population estimate for greater (Aythya marila) and lesser (Aythya affinis) scaup (combined) has declined dramatically since the early 1980s to record lows in 1998. The 1998 estimate of 3.47 ...

The lesser and greater scaup are better known as bluebills. As the nickname implies, both subspecies have blue bills, and the two birds are very difficult to differentiate. Each is part of the diving ...

As the spring thaw begins to open bodies of water, ducks begin to migrate through Teller County. Although Teller is rather dry, rivers and lakes do attract some diving ducks that like deeper water.

Found especially on inland waters, Lesser Scaup are one of North America’s most abundant, widespread diving ducks. Often, you will see them with Canvasbacks and Redheads.

This week’s nature series features the Lesser Scaup, Aythya affinis, one of our most common diving ducks that is well known to hunters as the little bluebill or broadbill. This bird is common locally ...