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Scaup Aythya marila [Linnaeus, 1761]


	Order: Anseriformes	Family: Anatidae
	BTO Codes: SP, SCAUP	EURING No: 2040
	Number in Britain: 7600 birds (Winter)
	Conservation Status:
	UK: RED
	European: 3 Concern, most not in Europe; Endangered
	Global: Least Concern
Links to: Images Videos Sound

Status in UK: (A) Scarce Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor
Subspecies: marila recorded in Britain (of 2 subsp. in the world)
.
Length: 46 cm	Wingspan: 78 cm	Weight: M/F: 1 kg

Scientific name from:	Gr.: aithuia=a seabird described by Aristotle and Gr.: marile=charcoal embers
World Distribution:	BREEDS: n Eurasia, n North America, WINTERS: south to s Europe, e China & s US

Habitat:	Tundra lakes, on migration open lakes & coasts
Diet:	Omnivorous, but esp. molluscs in winter, mostly by diving
TitBit:	More than 30,000 Scaup used to winter in the Firth of Forth, feeding on waste grain from the breweries and distilleries until tighter sewage regulations stopped the discharges

Population and Distribution

	Population Trend:	No population trend available
	Distribution:	No distribution maps available

British Population Size:

Winter: 7560 individuals in 1990-99 Baker, H. et al. (2006) British Birds 99:25-44

First Record: 1672

First Breeding Record: Outer Hebrides 1897 Brown, A. 2007. British Birds 100:214-243

Conservation Status: RED because Recent Non-breeding Population Decline (1969-2007), Eaton, M.A. et al. 2009. British Birds 102:296-341

Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 AMBER Gregory, R.D. et al. 2002. British Birds 95:410-448

1996-2001 AMBER Gibbons, D.W. et al. 1996. RSPB Conservation Review 10:7-18

Races of Concern:

Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):

No habitat data from BBS

European Population Size:

Summer: Unavailable Bufield, I. & Van Bommel, F. (2004) Birds in Europe. Birdlife International, Cambridge.

Population Assesment from Birds in Europe

Distribution in Europe

Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(I), WBD(II*,III*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA

Survey Results:	Wetland Bird Survey Alerts


Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 62 x 43 mm	Egg Weight: 67.0 g (of which 8 % is shell)

Number of Nest Records: 0
Clutch Size: 8 - 11 eggs

Incubation: 26- 28 days		by the: Female
Fledging: 40 - 45days		as: Precocial, downy

First Clutches Laid: Unavailable
Number of Broods: 1

Number Ringed: 2
Adult Survival: 0.480
Juvenile Survival: No data

Age at First Breeding: 2 years	Typical Lifespan: 3 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 8yr 4m (Finland: 14yr 0m)


Other Names
Greater Scaup


Gaelic: Lach-mhara	Welsh: Hwyaden Benddu
Danish: Bjergand	Dutch: Toppereend
Finnish: Lapasotka	French: Fuligule milouinan
German: Bergente	Hungarian: Hegyi réce
Icelandic: Duggönd	Irish: Lacha Iascán
Italian: Moretta grigia	Norwegian: Bergand
Polish: Ogorzalka zwyczajna	Portuguese: Zarro-bastardo
Spanish: Porrón bastardo	Swedish: Bergand

Local Names: Mussel / Norwegian Duck

For More Information...

Books and Monographs:

Kear, J 2005 Ducks, geese and swans Oxford University Press [598.48 KEA]

Cabot, D. 2009 Wildfowl Collins, London

See Also:

All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter

Wikipedia entry

State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead

Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com

Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005

Find more papers on Google Scholar

Find more papers on Scirus


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These data should be cited as: Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.24, June 2009). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)		© British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK. Terms and Conditions \| Privacy Statement Registered Charity Number 216652.
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