Aythya ID question

[Jeff Parks]

Hi all -

So, I was looking at a bunch of Redheads and Ringnecks today, and saw another duck in the mix.  This one looked a little different, and I am wondering if it is a Greater (or Lesser) Scaup.  It is a female, which makes it a little more difficult to ID than the males, but I think the pictures show it well enough to determine what it is.  I am somewhat confused by the white around the eye (Ringneck?), but there is no obvious "spur" on the front side as the Ringneck should have.  It looks to be nearly the size of the female Canvasback, or about the size of a Gadwall, as shown in the pictures.  Is the head shape definitive for a Greater Scaup?  Or am I imagining things?  Any clarification on the details would be most helpful.

cheers -

Jeff Parks
Boulder, CO

[Jeff Parks]

OK, so it is not a Scaup, the white around the eye rules that out. 
The thing that was confusing me was the white on the face at the base of the bill. 
Is this a normal marking for a female Redhead?

Jeff

[Steven Rash]

Female ring-necked duck

Steve Rash
Denver, CO

[Jeff Parks]

OK, from what I can tell from further research and people's comments, this is a female Redhead.  It can be distinguished from the female ringneck by the round head (ringneck has a peaked head), the same color on crown as rest of the head (ringneck has a darker cap), and the lack of a lighter "spur" on the side, very obvious on the male ringneck, less obvious but still present on the female ringneck.  The white on the face is similar to the ringneck, which is what confused me to begin with.  Apparently, this is not unusual for a Redhead, although not all of them have the white on the face.  The head shape and coloring is similar to the female Canvasback, as shown in the picture.

If anyone has any more distinguishing details, feel free to chime in. 

Jeff Parks