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The ring-necked duck, which would have been better named "ring-billed duck" and is called "blackjack" in the southeastern United States, frequents different habits than the scaups with which is is often confused. The black back, white crescent on the side just in front of the wing, and white-ringed bill separate the drake ring-neck from the scaups. The brownish neck ring of the male in alternate plumage is not prominent. The hen is a small dark brown duck with a buff face. Drakes in courtship give a head-throw accompanied by a wow note while hens utter a growling purr. Ring-necks are…

This Eurasian diving duck regularly occurs in the Aleutian Islands and with increasing regularity in North America, especially along the West Coast. It is now reported annually in Oregon, between mid-October and early May, with most during January and February. All were from the coastal lowlands or the Willamette Valley, except for one on a small pond in Josephine County. They are closely related to the scaups and often associated with them. Hear the call of the tufted duck Photo by Tom Benson, Flickr

Greater scaup are almost the size of redheads. In hand, they are easily distinguishable from lesser scaup by size and by the white wing stripe extending beyond the secondaries into the primaries. In the field the two species are sometimes difficult to separate. Drakes are black on both ends and white in the middle. Hens are dark brown with a white mask around the base of the bill. The common vocalizations are the discordant scaup and purring pbbbrr of the female. Greater scaups form large flocks, sometimes mingling with lesser scaups in fall and winter. They are an abundant migrant…