Two Scaup species occur in Canada, the Greater Scaup and the Lesser Scaup. These two closely related species are nearly identical in appearance, which can cause difficulties in distinguishing 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. Greater Scaup are the least abundant of the two species and are the only diving duck with a circumpolar breeding distribution. It is widely distributed across Arctic and Subarctic regions where it mainly nests in coastal tundra habitats. 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. Because Lesser Scaup are a dominant component of the combined population, changes in population status of the less abundant Greater Scaup may be undetectable. 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 Scaup has declined considerably in Canada over the long-term.
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.
