Lesser Scaup

Aythya affinis

The first Pribilof (and Bering Sea) record came as recently as 1961, though this species has proven to be a semi-annual vagrant in recent springs. Most records come from the second half of May with scattered spring records into mid-June. A few spring arrivals have lingered into July while an occasional summer wanderer has been recorded from late June to early August. The existing fall records are mostly from October with a single September record. This species appears to be a regular visitor to the islands following the same pattern as the Greater Scaup, though in much smaller numbers. On average there have been one or two records each year since the late 1990s.

Photo by Scott Schuette
Photo by Ryan P. O’Donnell