Lesser Scaup

Recognition
These are small ducks and the males are black and white. The females are overall a dullish brown. Both the males and females have yellow eyes.

Where seen
During winter, they form large flocks of up to several thousand on the Caloosahatchee river just outside the marina.

Jimmy’s notes
These ducks arrive in Autumn and stay in the river until the end of February. They can be seen in their thousands first thing in the morning and last thing at night where they form large float-like rafts.

When in flight, they fly low to the water, or around and around in circles. Under the wings they have a white stripe which can be seen when in flight. At the time of writing, I do not know where this species goes during the day to feed but we do know that they feed on the bottom of freshwater lakes and ponds.

The name itself is derived from the Scottish word “scalp” meaning shell-fish bed.