"Bluebill by any other name still a scaup" http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/home_and_garden/article/0,1426,MCA_523_533 8298,00.html By Van Harris February 9, 2007 VAN WRITES:"Lesser scaup is the most numerous diving duck species in North America. Its population seems to be holding fairly steady. Greater scaup have shown slow but steady decreases over the last 50 years, especially in their traditional Atlantic Coast wintering area." ........................................... >. > > > > "This is not to say that greater scaup do not occur in the Mid-South. There are a miniscule number of Tennessee records, with only a handful of those from West Tennessee. "............................. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> I've been counting, ID ing and sending in reports on scaup for a few years at the request of some of their researchers so here is.................. The Rest of the Story as Paul Harvey would say.............. USFW The smaller lesser scaup primarily uses the Mississippi Flyway whereas the greater scaup uses both the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways. These species remain the most abundant diving ducks in North America, but their populations have been â??taking a diveâ?? since the late 1970s. With an estimated 3.73 million breeding scaup in 2003, the birds are 29% below their long-term average of 5.28 million. It is the fourth lowest estimate on record since breeding duck surveys began in 1955. Mississippi State University - "Bluebills remain the most abundant diving duck in North America," said Richard M. Kaminski, waterfowl/wetland ecologist and professor in MSU's wildlife and fisheries department. "Since the late 1970s, however, their populations have been 'diving.'" Canadian -Ducks Unlimited Winnipeg MB, April 26 - Waterfowl biologists with a U.S.-based research project are urging Canadians to report sightings of specially marked scaup during this year's spring migration to better understand why this duck species has suffered serious population declines in recent decades. These ducks breed primarily in the boreal forest and their continental breeding season populations have declined by about 40 per cent, reaching historic lows while populations of other common North American waterfowl species have stabilized or increased. From the AUK The continental scaup population (Lesser [Aythya affinis] and Greater [A. marila] combined) has declined markedly since 1978. One hypothesis for the population decline states that reproductive success has decreased because female scaup are arriving on breeding areas in poorer body condition than they did historically (i.e. spring condition hypothesis) From Birds of America - by LSU Numbers using migration routes in Mississippi River valley and river valleys of Illinois and Indiana have declined (_Bellrose et al. 1979_ (http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA/account/Lesser_Scaup/DEMOGRAPHY_AND_POPULATIONS.html#Lesser_ Scaup_DEMOGRAPHY_AND_POPULATIONS_POPULATION_STATUS_DEFAULT) , _Mumford and Keller 1984_ (http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA/account/Lesser_Scaup/DEMOGRAPHY_AND_POPULATIONS.html#Lesser_Scaup_DEMOGRAPHY_AND_POPULATIONS_POPULATION_STATUS_D EFAULT) , _Korschgen 1989_ (http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA/account/Lesser_Scaup/DEMOGRAPHY_AND_POPULATIONS.html#Lesser_Scaup_DEMOGRAPHY_AND_POPULATIONS_PO PULATION_STATUS_DEFAULT) ). On Pool 19 on Mississippi River in se. Iowa, numbers have declined from historic peak of >500,000 in late 1960s (_Thornburg 1973_ (http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA/account/Lesser_Scaup/DEMOGRAPHY_AND_POPULATIONS.html#Lesser_Scaup_DEMOGRAPHY_AND_POPULATIONS_POPULATION_STATUS_DEFAULT) ) to 150,000â??200,000 in 1980s (_Korschgen 1989_ (http://bna. birds.cornell.edu/BNA/account/Lesser_Scaup/DEMOGRAPHY_AND_POPULATIONS.html#Lesser_Scaup_DEMOGRA PHY_AND_POPULATIONS_POPULATION_STATUS_DEFAULT) ) to 1997 estimates of <20,000 (S. P. Havera pers. comm.). >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > On any given winter day in west TN, with time and a scope, you can find upwards of a hundred Greater Scaup, at Reelfoot, Memphis or on the TN River at Pickwick or Pace Point. By far the easiest viewing, where these birds can be found closer and in numbers for study, would be TVA Lake at Ensley Bottoms in Memphis. Dozens of Greater spend the day here mixed in with hundreds to thousands of Lesser Scaup. (I counted 55 there today 2/10/07) The Greater Scaup ID can be confusing at first but with study and time, I've taught hundreds of birders these ID points and had them picking the birds out in short order. As anything else the more effort and time spent, the better your results and some come to the realization faster than others. I'd be glad to assist anyone in identifying these birds on just about any weekend in the winter, just drop me a line. I'm sure Mike Todd in TN or Gene Knight in MS would make the same offer if they were available at the time of your request. Try these photos for a quick over view of the ID challenge, click "next" to go through the slides and you can change the sizes of the image to fit your screen by clicking on the sizes offered below the text: _http://www.pbase.com/image/26212936_ (http://www.pbase.com/image/26212936) (http://w/) Good Birding !!! Jeff R. 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