Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas

Kauaʻi record · kba_bird_lesser_scaup

Lesser Scaup

Aythya affinis

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Lesser Scaup — Adults · male left, female right
Lesser Scaup — Adults · male left, female right · OpenAI image generation; Atlas deterministic typesetting · AI-generated artwork; no third-party photograph reproduced · Image source

About Lesser Scaup

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) is recorded as a winter visitor on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.

Kauaʻi evidence

Bishop Museum island checklist (version 2, 2017) lists Kauaʻi status W: winter visitor. See original island table. A Hawaiʻi-level record is available, but the species needs a documented Kauaʻi observation before local ecological conclusions are drawn.

Occurrence evidence

bishop_island_checklist_2017

Names and classification

Scientific name
Aythya affinis
Common names
Lesser Scaup
Family
Anatidae
Order
Anseriformes
Record type
Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence
Kauaʻi documented: winter visitor (2017 island checklist)
Origin
Indigenous visitor
Conservation status
Not assessed
Evidence date
2026-09-13
Evidence limits
Island occurrence supported by the 2017 checklist; abundance and current year presence are not established here

Habitat and ecology

Habitats
Wetlands · Estuaries · Coastal habitat
Food and resource needs
Aquatic invertebrates such as insects, crustaceans, and mollusks, plus seeds and vegetative aquatic-plant parts.
Reproduction
Breeding on Kauaʻi is not established; seasonal resting and foraging habitat may be relevant.
Shelter
Shelter and structure within wetlands, estuaries, coastal habitat.

Threats and conservation

Threats
Wetland habitat loss to development, pollution, habitat-modifying invasive plants, and avian disease
Conservation actions
Attach diving-duck observations to exact ponds/canals/reservoirs before using it in food-web or disease conservation analysis
Monitoring
Document date, place, observer, habitat, behavior, and supporting media for any Kauaʻi observation.
Data gaps
Update island status with dated contemporary records · Specific Kauaʻi habitat and abundance need local evidence

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing
Wintering Migrant October To As Early As February Departure
Seasonal description
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) is recorded as a winter visitor on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.

Sources and further reading

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