Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 11:11:58 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "dw.holmes" Subject: Re Scaup ID MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Thought this might be timely -=20 Posted on OBOL (Oregon Birders On Line) today by Mike Denny "Sometime ago I had an outstanding discussion with a well known western = ornithologist concerning female scaup and how to separate the three = species in the field. His points are as follows: Greater-----The female is larger and more robust than say a female = bufflehead. The overall head shape including the residual crest is much = rounder than say a post ocular spot in front of a female black-chinned = hummingbirds eye. Last but not least is the zygodactyl placement of the = toes on birds hatched north of the Peace River in Canada.=20 Cordilleran-----This female is virtually identical in every way to the = female Greater say for the spastic pre-flight tail twitch duly noted by = Nedly & Epert 1986. There can also be some noticeable discoloration = along the ventral line due to this species propensity for turning on its = flanks to preen while setting on sewage lagoons. Lesser----This species was recently found to be a cavity nester and the = notable process on the posterior surface of the skull was discovered to = allow the bird to place its head into the nest chamber and push up while = turning its eggs with the right foot, thus it can retain its balance = while perched on the lip of the cavity. Eye color is also a reliable = indicator of age in this gender. Hatched with very dark irises these = birds lighten up with age. Well that is it for now. Just thought you might want to know this on = this first day of April." =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================