Greater Scaup

Greater Scaup

Aythya marila

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Gates of the Arctic National Park
13 Verified records at Gates of the Arctic National Park
July Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The greater scaup (Aythya marila), just scaup in Europe or, colloquially, "bluebill" in North America, is a mid-sized diving duck, larger than the closely related lesser scaup and tufted duck. It spends the summer months breeding in Iceland, east across Scandinavia, northern Russia and Siberia, Alaska, and northern Canada. During the winter, it migrates south to the coasts of Europe, eastern Asia, and North America. Male greater scaup average slightly larger than the females but with much overlap; they have a light blue-grey bill and yellow eyes. Their heads are dark, with a green to purple (depending on light angle) gloss; the breast is black, the belly white, the upperparts pale grey, and the wing shows a strong white stripe. The females are mostly brown, again with white on the wing. Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Scaup sighting in Gates of the Arctic National Park, based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Gates of the Arctic National Park

Ring-necked Duck
LC

Ring-necked Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aythya collaris

5–10% · With luck
Snow Goose
LC

Snow Goose

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Anser caerulescens

Insufficient data
Common Teal
LC

Common Teal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas crecca

10–20% · With luck
Red-breasted Merganser
LC

Red-breasted Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mergus serrator

10–20% · With luck
Surf Scoter
LC

Surf Scoter

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanitta perspicillata

10–20% · With luck
American Wigeon

American Wigeon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mareca americana

10–20% · With luck
Trumpeter Swan
LC

Trumpeter Swan

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cygnus buccinator

5–10% · With luck
American White-winged Scoter
LC

American White-winged Scoter

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanitta deglandi

5–10% · With luck
Northern Pintail
LC

Northern Pintail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas acuta

5–10% · With luck
Tundra Swan
LC

Tundra Swan

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cygnus columbianus

5–10% · With luck
Bufflehead
LC

Bufflehead

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bucephala albeola

Insufficient data
Common Merganser
LC

Common Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mergus merganser

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
10–20
Feb
10–20
Mar
10–20
Apr
10–20
May
10–20
Jun
20–30
Jul
20–30
Aug
10–20
Sep
10–20
Oct
10–20
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
20–30%
2 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
3 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
4 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
5 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
6 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
7 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
8 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
9 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
10 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
11 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
12 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
13 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
14 Thingvellir National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
<5%
15 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
16 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
17 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
<5%
18 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
19 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
20 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
21 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
22 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
23 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
24 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
25 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
26 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
27 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
28 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
29 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
30 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
<5%
31 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
32 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
34 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
35 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
36 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
37 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
Insufficient data
38 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
39 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
40 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
Insufficient data
41 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
Insufficient data
42 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
43 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
44 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
45 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Greater Scaup in Gates of the Arctic National Park?

About 19% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Scaup sighting in Gates of the Arctic National Park, based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Greater Scaup in Gates of the Arctic National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Greater Scaup in Gates of the Arctic National Park in our monthly data.

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