Lesser Scaup

	Lesser Scaup
	Cat Given Name:	Duck
	Common Name(s):	Common Loon,  Mallard,  Canvasback,  Horned Grebe,  Wood Duck,  Green-winged Teal,  Red-throated Loon,  Ruddy Duck,  Blue-winged Teal,  Bufflehead,  Northern Shoveler,  Gadwall,  American Wigeon,  Redhead,  Common Goldeneye,  Long-tailed Duck,  Hooded Merganser,  Lesser Scaup,  Common Merganser,  Pied-billed Grebe,  Ring-necked Duck,  Red-breasted Merganser,  Greater Scaup,  American Black Duck
	Other Name(s):	Great Northern Diver,  Wild Duck,  Slavonian Grebe,  Devil-diver,  Hell-diver,  Pink-Eyed Diver,  Water Witch,  Carolina Duck,  Red-throated Diver,  Shoveler,  American Widgeon,  Baldplate,  Oldsquaw,  Harelda hyemalis,  Mergus cucullatus
	Scientific Name(s):	Gavia immer,  Anas platyrhynchos,  Aythya valisineria,  Podiceps auritus,  Aix sponsa,  Anas carolinensis,  Gavia stellata,  Oxyura jamaicensis,  Anas discors,  Bucephala albeola,  Anas clypeata,  Anas strepera,  Anas americana,  Aythya americana,  Bucephala clangula,  Clangula hyemalis,  Lophodytes cucullatus,  Mergus merganser,  Anas rubripes
	Physical Description:	Lesser Scaups are medium-sized diving ducks that have a blue bill with a small black tip and a slight bump on the back of their head. An adult female is mostly covered in varying shades of brown, with a darker head and neck, lighter brown sides, and a whitish belly. An adult male is very similiar to an adult female in appearance, except for the white facial colouring; a female has a large white patch at the base of her bill, but the male has only a few white feathers there.
	Physical Statistics:	Length: 15.4 - 18.1 Inches (39 - 46 Centimeters) Weight: 1 – 2.4 Pounds (454 – 1089 grams) Wingspan: 26.8 – 30.7 Inches (68 – 78 Centimeters)
	Behavior:	Lesser Scaups can be found on freshwater or brackish lakes and ponds, and make their nests either on the ground or in a mound of vegetation over water. They dive underwater to get their food.
	Social Organization:	Lesser Scaups live in flocks and migrate through the clan territories in late fall and late spring.
	Approval Level*:	Moderator; These ducks are uncommon visitors in the clan territories, landing occasionally during their New-leaf and Leaf-fall migrations.
	Kill Difficulty:	Moderate; Lesser Scaups, as a large duck of considerable wing span and strength, can solidly buffet a cat with its wings, causing disconcertion and perhaps even bruising or broken bones.
	Hunting Difficulty:	Specialty - Duck; When hunting a Lesser Scaup, cats should wait from the shore until the duck is near land before ambushing; if an attack misses, the duck will call out an alarm.
	Food Quality:	High; Lesser Scaup supply a large amount of rich, nutritous meat that can be shared amongst several cats.
*Some creatures require approval to appear in RP. This is to make sure the Admins and Mods who need to know are fully aware of a species currently active in their area. These ratings are mainly for those creatures that are uncommon or pose a threat of some sort to the cats.