Two Scaup species occur in Canada, the Greater Scaup and the Lesser Scaup. The two closely related species are nearly identical in appearance, which causes difficulties distinguishing between them. The population status of Scaup in North America became a conservation concern due to apparent declines from historic high levels observed in the late 1970s. Their populations have not yet fully recovered, and research to understand the cause of the decline is ongoing. The core breeding area for the Lesser Scaup is the Western Boreal and Prairies and Parkland Regions but it also nests at lower densities in eastern Canada. The Lesser Scaup is the more abundant of the two Scaup species, and the harvest for this species represents about two thirds of the combined harvest of the two species for Canada. The information below regarding the population estimate and population status is for the two species combined. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
As it is very difficult to differentiate between Greater Scaup and Lesser Scaup during aerial surveys and most ground-based surveys, species-specific population estimates and population trends cannot be obtained. Research is ongoing to understand why Scaup have declined during the drought years in the 1980s (similarly to other ducks), but were slow to recover when habitat conditions improved subsequently (Austin et al. 2000, Anteau et al. 2014). The harvest of both species in Canada has declined considerably since the 1970s and appears to have stabilized between 50,000 and 75,000 birds annually since 2000.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
