Greater Scaup vs Lesser Scaup

Aythya marila compared with Aythya affinis

Key Differences

• Greater Scaup is Vulnerable while Lesser Scaup is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Greater Scaup	Lesser Scaup
Kingdom same	Animalia (حيوانات)	Animalia (حيوانات)
Phylum same	Chordata (حبليات)	Chordata (حبليات)
Class same	Aves (طيور)	Aves (طيور)
Order same	Anseriformes (إوزيات)	Anseriformes (إوزيات)
Family same	Anatidae	Anatidae
Genus same	Aythya	Aythya
Species	Aythya marila	Aythya affinis

Evolutionary Relationship

Greater Scaup and Lesser Scaup share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Aythya.

Conservation Status

Greater Scaup

VU — Vulnerable

Lesser Scaup

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Greater Scaup	Lesser Scaup
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Greater Scaup

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Lesser Scaup

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Greater Scaup

Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Lesser Scaup

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States