Species:

Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri)

Scaup (Aythya marila)

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Length (cm):
43-47
42-51
Wingspan (cm):
70-76
72-84
Weight (gram):
670-1000
700-1300
Size group:
Crow-size
Crow-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Diagnostic, squarish head profile with flat crown, high bill base, steep forehead in all plumages. Male unmistakable with white and orange-buff underparts, white head with dark eye-patch, black collar and black back. Female mottled brown, but distinguished by head profile and blue wingbar with white edges. Identifiable at a distance by its habit of holding the tail raised clear of the water like a dabbling duck.

Sound:

Male seldom heard. Display sound probably a clear whistle rising slightly and then falling in pitch, a bit like Golden Plover. Female more noisy with indistinct guttural sounds.

Display-calls:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Andrew Spencer,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license

Appearance:

Medium sized diving duck. Male with white sides and light grey,finely mottled back. Female mostly brown with prominent white feathering at base of bill (more white than most female Tufted Ducks), and often a pale cheek patch (sometimes missing in winter plumage). Large rounded head with no hint of tuft. Bill grey with much smaller, narrow, black nail than Tufted Duck. Wings with similar wing stripe as Tufted. Floats low in water.

Sound:

Male call carries only a few meters: a whistling "po-ho" last syllable slowly descending. Female calls with harsh "harr-harrr-harrr".

Female:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Patrik Åberg,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Duck-like
Silhouette
Duck-like
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species