Greater scaup faces numerous threats, the most significant challenge to their survival is habitat degradation caused by a mix of human development and runoff. Greater scaup, when moulting and during the winter, are threatened by escalated levels of organochloride contaminants. Oil and sewage pollution also threaten this duck. Since 80% of the greater scaup population winters in the urbanized part of the Atlantic Flyway, these ducks are subject to high levels of organic contaminates, along with increased levels of heavy metals in foods and habitat. A joint group of American and Canadian scientists researching scaup migration across the Great Lakes found that
Lesser scaup scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek "aithuia" an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin, "affinis" "related to", from its resemblance to the greater scaup. Adults are long, on average. The species can weigh ; males weigh on average and weigh noticeably less, at on average. Wing lengths (not wingspans) are about in males and in females; the tarsus is about long, and the bill . The wingspan is . The adult males (drakes) in alternate plumage have a black, iridescent head and a small tuft at the hindcrown, a black breast, a whitish-grey back