What is "bluebill"

Scaup \Scaup\ (sk[add]p), n. [See Scalp a bed of oysters or mussels.]

1. A bed or stratum of shellfish; scalp. [Scot.]

2. (Zo["o]l.) A scaup duck. See below.

   Scaup duck (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of northern ducks of the genus Aythya, or Fuligula. The adult males are, in large part, black. The three North American species are: the greater scaup duck ( Aythya marila, var. nearctica), called also broadbill, bluebill, blackhead, flock duck, flocking fowl, and raft duck; the lesser scaup duck ( A. affinis), called also little bluebill, river broadbill, and shuffler; the tufted, or ring-necked, scaup duck ( A. collaris), called also black jack, ringneck, ringbill, ringbill shuffler, etc. See Illust. of Ring-necked duck, under Ring-necked. The common European scaup, or mussel, duck ( A. marila), closely resembles the American variety.

Broadbill \Broad"bill`\, n.

1. (Zo["o]l.) A wild duck ( Aythya marila, or Fuligula marila), which appears in large numbers on the eastern coast of the United States, in autumn; -- called also bluebill, blackhead, raft duck, and scaup duck. See Scaup duck.

2. (Zo["o]l.) The shoveler. See Shoveler.

n. 1 the scaup (of genus ''Aythya'') 2 ''Spermophaga'', estrildid finches found in tropical Africa.

n. diving ducks of North America having a bluish-gray bill [syn: scaup, scaup duck, broadbill]

The bluebills are the genus 'Spermophaga ' of the estrildid finches family. These birds are found in tropical Africa. They are gregarious seed eaters with short, thick, blue and red bills. All have plumage which is mainly crimson and black or dark grey.

The members are:

• Grant's bluebill, Spermophaga poliogenys
• Western bluebill, Spermophaga haematina
• Red-headed bluebill, Spermophaga ruficapilla