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Greater Scaup:
Two scaup species live in North America. The Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) prefers salt water and is found in America and Eurasia, while the Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) prefers freshwater and is found only in North America.
In 1897, the American Ornithologists' Union called the Greater Scaup the "American Scaup Duck". In their publiction "The Auk" (Vol.XIV), they wrote: "Most commonly known as Dos gris; also as Blue-bill."
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The origin of the name "scaup" is unknown. In 1896, Thomas Nuttall and Montague Chamberlain, in their "A Popular Handbook of the Ornithology of Eastern North America" wrote:
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"... Authors differ as to the origin of the name given to these birds, some referring it to their fondness for mollusks, while others think the cry is responsible for the name, which sounds like the word "scaup", delivered by a harsh voice in a screaming tone. The cry is exceedingly discordant ..."
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The "TheWesternIsles.co.uk" website (2009) states that the name "scaup" comes from a Scottish word "scalp" which means mussel beds, a favourite food of the Scaup duck.
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Puget Island, Washington ...
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Greater Scaup, male, Puget Island, Wahkiakum County, Washington.
Nice sunny spring day.
Image taken April 22, 2011.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup, male, Puget Island, Wahkiakum County, Washington.
Nice sunny spring day.
Image taken April 22, 2011.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup, male, Puget Island, Wahkiakum County, Washington.
Nice sunny spring day.
Image taken April 22, 2011.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Columbia River upstream I-205 Bridge ...
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup, male, Columbia River near Portland International Airport.
Weather was cold with heavy winds, starting to drizzle.
Image taken February 28, 2009.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup with "lunch" (left image), and Greater Scaup and Lesser Scaup (right image), Columbia River near Portland International Airport.
Weather was cold with heavy winds, starting to drizzle.
Image taken February 28, 2009.
Canon EOS 40d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup, female (left) and male (right), Columbia River near Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon.
Image taken March 4, 2009.
Canon Rebel XSi, 200mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup, females, Columbia River near Portland International Airport.
Image taken March 4, 2009.
Canon Rebel XSi, 200mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup, males, Columbia River near Portland International Airport.
Image taken March 4, 2009.
Canon Rebel XSi, 200mm.
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Columbia River at Hayden Island, Oregon ...
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup, male, Columbia River upstream I-5 Bridge, Oregon side.
Cold overcast afternoon with occasional sunbreaks.
Image taken November 20, 2010.
Canon EOS 7d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup, female, Columbia River upstream I-5 Bridge, Oregon side.
Cold overcast afternoon with occasional sunbreaks.
Image taken November 20, 2010.
Canon EOS 7d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup, female, Columbia River upstream I-5 Bridge, Oregon side.
Cold overcast afternoon with occasional sunbreaks.
Image taken November 20, 2010.
Canon EOS 7d, 400mm.
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup pair, Columbia River upstream I-5 Bridge, Oregon side.
Cold overcast afternoon with occasional sunbreaks.
Image taken November 20, 2010.
Canon EOS 7d, 400mm.
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Julia Butler Hansen NWR, Washington...
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup, male (left) and female (right), Julia Butler Hansen NWR, Washington.
On Elochoman Slough. Weather overcast with low clouds.
Image taken January 26, 2011.
Canon EOS 7d, 400mm.
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Knappa Slough, Oregon ...
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Click image to enlarge
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Greater Scaup (and others in the mix), Knappa Slough, Oregon.
Image taken February 17, 2008.
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Knappa Slough is on the Oregon side of the Columbia River, approximately 15 miles east of Astoria, and separates islands on the east side of Cathlamet Bay from mainland Oregon.
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