Lesser Scaup vs Margay

Aythya affinis compared with Leopardus wiedii

Key Differences

• Lesser Scaup is Least Concern while Margay is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Lesser Scaup	Margay
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Anatidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Aythya	Leopardus
Species	Aythya affinis	Leopardus wiedii

Evolutionary Relationship

Lesser Scaup and Margay share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Lesser Scaup

LC — Least Concern

Margay

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic 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).

Margay

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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 3 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇻🇪 Venezuela