LESSER SCAUP 

 ( Aythya af finis ) 



[FR: Petit railouinan, GE: Veilchenete, SP: Costero chico, US: Dos-gris] 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION 



North America The primary breeding range of the Lesser Scaup extends from 

 north-central Alaska east to the northwestern Northwest Territories, southeast 

 to southwestern James Bay, south in the interior to southern British Columbia, 

 northeastern Idaho, northwestern Wyoming, northeastern Montana, and northwestern 

 North Dakota, and east to northeastern South Dakota and northwestern Minnesota 

 (Palmer 1976b). It also breeds at scattered localities farther south and is ap- 

 parently extending its breeding range to the east in Canada (Palmer 1976b). To 

 the south of the primary breeding range, the Lesser Scaup breeds or has bred in 

 northern California, Utah, southern Washington, eastern Oregon, northern Idaho, 

 northern Arizona, Nebraska, southern Wisconsin, Michigan, northeastern Iowa, 

 Ohio, and several eastern localities in Canada (Bellrose 1976, Palmer 1976b). 



The northern limits for wintering Lesser Scaup are from southwestern Brit- 

 ish Columbia southeast to central and western Utah, northern Texas, eastern Kan- 

 sas, and southwestern Iowa and from the southern Great Lakes to southeastern 

 Massachusetts (Palmer 1976b). South of these areas, Lesser Scaup winter both 

 inland and along the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf coasts of the United States; 

 a notable proportion occurs along the Gulf. They also commonly winter off the 

 coasts of Mexico and south at least to the Pacific coast of Guatemala (Bellrose 

 1976). The species is found locally and in small numbers in the rest of Central 

 America (Palmer 1976b). 



World Distribution The Lesser Scaup breeds only in North America, and 

 largely winters there, although a few regularly winter in Bermuda and the Carib- 

 bean. The southern limits of distribution in mainland South America are the 

 Cauca Valley and eastern Andes of Colombia, Venezuela, and western Ecuador (Pal- 

 mer 1976b). Lesser Scaup have straggled to Hawaii, and there are reports of the 

 species from Britain and Europe, although Palmer (1976b) doubted the validity of 

 these reports. 



DISTRIBUTION IN THE COASTAL SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 



North Carolina The Lesser Scaup is a fairly common winter resident through- 

 out the state (Pearson et al. 1942). Often locally abundant, large concentra- 

 tions may be found along the coast (Potter et al. 1980). Most are present from 

 October to May (Potter et al. 1980), but a few may remain in the summer (Teul- 

 ings 1971c, 1972c). 



Bellrose (1976) indicated that winter populations were on the order of 

 8,000 birds. The 1975 winter waterfowl survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 



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