This photo shows an adult male Greater Scaup in front and an adult male Lesser Scaup in back. You can see the difference between these two male Scaups as follows:
- The Greater Scaup (in front) has a smooth, round head. The Lesser Scaup (in back) has a more elongated looking head, with its height greater than its width, and a slight peak at the rear of the crown.
- Even though the Greater Scaup is slightly closer, you can see that the Greater Scaup is significantly larger than the Lesser Scaup.
- The Lesser Scaup has a slightly smaller bill with a smaller and less wide black tip than the Greater Scaup.
- The Greater Scaup has almost all white sides, while the Lesser Scaup has more grayish sides.
- The Lesser Scaup has a darker wavy pattern on its upperparts than the wavy pattern of the Greater Scaup.
At a distance, when the two species are not near each other, most of these differences are difficult to discern. The best one is the first: the shape of the head.
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