Greater Scaup vs Tufted Duck

Aythya marila compared with Aythya fuligula

Key Differences

• Greater Scaup is Vulnerable while Tufted Duck is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Greater Scaup	Tufted Duck
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order same	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family same	Anatidae	Anatidae
Genus same	Aythya	Aythya
Species	Aythya marila	Aythya fuligula

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Greater Scaup

VU — Vulnerable

Tufted Duck

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Greater Scaup	Tufted Duck
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.

Tufted Duck

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), and North America (United States).

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.

Tufted Duck

Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) 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