lesser scaup duck

7.9

A medium diving bird whose male has a purple head and a blue bill

noun
/ˈlɛsər skaʊp dʌk/

: pato scaup menor

The male lesser scaup duck is easily recognized by its purplish-black head and blue bill.

Examples

The lesser scaup ducks are often seen in large groups.
I spotted a lesser scaup duck near the lake.
Birdwatchers spotted a group of lesser scaup ducks swimming near the shore.
In the spring, large flocks of lesser scaup duck can be seen migrating northward across the lakes.
Birdwatchers spotted a group of lesser scaup ducks swimming near the shore.
In the spring, large flocks of lesser scaup ducks can be seen migrating northward across the lakes.
The male lesser scaup duck is easily recognized by its purplish-black head and blue bill.

Synonyms

Aythya affinis

vslesser scaup duck

Specialized

9.9

A North American diving duck whose males have a shiny purplish head

is the common name highlighting the male's blue bill and purplish head

lesser scaup

vslesser scaup duck

9.9

A small North American duck that dives for food and whose males have purple heads

focuses more on the male's blue bill rather than size comparison

Surface Forms

lesser scaup duck singular

lesser scaup ducks plural

Morphology

lesser + scaup + duck

The phrase is fully compositional: 'scaup' names a type of diving duck, 'lesser' signals a smaller/lesser form, and 'duck' confirms the bird category. A B1 learner who knows these constituent meanings can infer it refers to the (smaller) scaup species, so the meaning is directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Lesser scaup duck may take its name from scaup, which may be an old word for a shell or shellfish, because these ducks dive for mussels and clams. The word lesser simply means 'smaller' than the 'greater' scaup, so the name points to the smaller diving duck.