Scaup (1 Viewer)

[qwerty5]

Today, I stumbled across this eBird checklist, which includes both Lesser and Greater Scaup. The attached pictures are causing me to wonder whether I really know anything at all about scaup identification. To me, the left bird looks like a textbook Greater Scaup, based on head shape (smoothly rounded, with the peak at the front of the head) but the eBirder says both birds on the left side of the photo are Lesser. What am I missing here?

 

[rkj]

They all look like Greater Scaup to me.

 

[fdokykcu]

I'm not familiar with both species to suggest a definite ID, but I don't know if you are aware that in eBird any observer can question the ID of media (using the flag in the lower right area), and that sends the record straight to the regional reviewer for further consideration. It is yet another mechanism to improve the quality of data (if the observation didn't break any filter it is possible that it escapes reviewing, especially in places with many lists) Maybe you can try it with this one

 

[qwerty5]

They all look like Greater Scaup to me.

That's was my suspicion, but I wasn't confident enough to suggest the guy was completely wrong here on BF. Thanks for confirming.

 

[Butty]

in eBird any observer can question the ID of media (using the flag in the lower right area)

This has been raised before in the forum and is not correct. Apparently, only members who have submitted 100 checklists in the previous year can do this - which probably excludes the vast majority of members. Go figure!
See >>

Slaty-backed Gull? Hong Kong, Jan 2022

I took this photo on 8 January this year in Hong Kong. I'm interested in the gull in front, facing right. The following might well be the same gull and was identified as a Slaty-backed Gull: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/403485671 Do you agree that my photo shows a Slaty-backed Gull? Why...

www.birdforum.net

 

[THE_FERN]

This has been raised before in the forum and is not correct. Apparently, only members who have submitted 100 checklists in the previous year can do this - which probably excludes the vast majority of members. Go figure!
See >>

Slaty-backed Gull? Hong Kong, Jan 2022

I took this photo on 8 January this year in Hong Kong. I'm interested in the gull in front, facing right. The following might well be the same gull and was identified as a Slaty-backed Gull: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/403485671 Do you agree that my photo shows a Slaty-backed Gull? Why...

www.birdforum.net

Y. I realise we're dealing with volunteers and a potentially massive workload but I do think the review process is less than transparent. I've had no response to my request about a local patch...

I received a query about an observation from a reviewer: I responded but heard nothing more (even when I tried his native language: request was in English)

Perhaps correct id of photos is more important since many of us use Macaulay etc to check our own obs. The inaturalist model seems better