![]() The wing has a white speculum and the inner primaries are light brown, becoming darker towards the tips and outer primaries. The tail, upper and under-tail coverts are black. The back is light gray with broad heavy vermiculations of sooty black. Vermiculations on the sides and flanks are olive brown and contrast with the white chest and belly. ![]() The neck, breast and upper mantle are glossy black. Male lesser scaup have a glossy black head with a purple cast. Lesser scaup also have a smaller, less-round, purple-tinted head than greater scaup. The smaller size of the lesser scaup is very obvious. Lesser and greater scaup are often found together. The female's bill is similar to that of the male, but slightly duller, and the legs and feet are gray. Female greater scaup are brown with white oval patches around their bills. The legs and feet are gray and the iris is yellow. The bill is a light blue-gray with a black nail, both of which are larger in greater scaup than lesser scaup. This contrasts with lesser scaup, in which the white is restricted to the speculum. The wing has a broad white speculum, with white extending into the primaries. The back is whitish with fine black vermiculations, and the tail and upper- and under-tail coverts are black. The neck, breast and upper mantle are glossy black, and the flanks and belly are white, sometimes with gray vermiculations on the lower flanks. Male greater scaup tend to have a glossy black head tinted green, although head color can vary and is not a reliable distinguishing feature. Male greater scaup also have a larger, more rounded head than male lesser scaup. Greater and lesser scaup are often found together, but the larger size of the greater scaup is very obvious. The legs and feet are gray-blue and the iris is brown. The neck, back, sides and flanks are brown and the belly is white. The bill is slate with a faint white band near the tip. A narrow white line extends from the eye to the back of the head. Female ring-necked ducks have a brown head with a black crown, light brown cheeks and chin and a white eye ring. Ring-necked ducks are silent except in display, when a low whistling note is uttered. ![]() The legs and feet are gray-blue and the iris is yellow. The "ringneck" name is derived from a faint brownish ring around the base of the neck, which is visible only upon close inspection. The bill is slate with a white border around the base and nares, and a pale white band behind the black tip. The belly and flanks are whitish to grayish, with a distinctive triangular white wedge extending upward in the area in front of the folded wing. Male ring-necked ducks have an iridescent black head, neck, breast and upperparts. Female ring-necked ducks most closely resemble female redheads, but are distinguished by their smaller size peaked, angular head profile and pale region around the face. View AllĪlthough male ring-necked ducks superficially resemble their counterparts in greater and lesser scaup, their peaked, angular head profile, distinctive white bill markings and uniformly dark upper wings distinguish them. The bill is blue-gray with a black tip and the legs and feet are blue-gray. Female Eurasian wigeon have gray-brown-to-russet-brown heads, necks, chests, backs, sides and flanks. In flight, a white shoulder patch and green speculum are displayed. ![]() The flanks are finely vermiculated and appear gray. The breast is grayish-pink and the lower breast, belly and sides of the rear body behind the flanks are white. Male Eurasian Wigeon have a black-speckled russet-red neck and head topped with a cream stripe. Females in reddish plumage have russet-brown heads, necks, chests, backs, sides and flanks, with a much redder tinge than female American wigeons. However, adult female Eurasian wigeons have two color phases: gray and red. Females of the two species are so similar that separation in the field is unreliable. The male's bright russet-red head, topped with a cream stripe, and its gray back and sides, distinguish it from its American cousin. Eurasian wigeons often can be found in the company of American Wigeons.
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