Help with Scaup in NS Canada (1 Viewer)

[KE lantz]

Help with Scaup ID in NS Canada

This flock of Greater Scaup shows up in the same location every year. There are often a few Lesser Scaup reported with them though I have never been able to pick them out. The photos are cropped severely and quality is very poor but today I found one bird with a different head shape just to the left of center in #1 and upper left-hand bird in #2. Is it just the angle or is this what I am looking for in Lesser Scaup.

 

[dan houghton]

Looks pretty good for a drake Lesser Scaup to me - different head shape with a little 'bump' on the rear crown, the bird also looks smaller and has a darker grey mantle which is good!

 

[Oldbirder Ray]

Absolutely agree with Dan, shows very clearly in #2.

Ray

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Given the location it probably is one, but I guess there isn't enough in the pictures to rule out a hybrid.

Stephen.

 

[markieobrien]

Given the location it probably is one, but I guess there isn't enough in the pictures to rule out a hybrid.

Stephen.

let alone that a lesser is definitively there