每年，全世界有数以亿计的候鸟，在相隔成千上万公里的繁殖地和越冬地之间往返迁徙。四川，植被茂密、河流广阔，每年立冬前后，从新疆、西伯利亚、蒙古等地远道而来的“老朋友们”都会如约而至，斑背潜鸭就是其中之一。

Every year, hundreds of millions of birds migrate back and forth between their breeding and wintering grounds. With dense vegetation and vast rivers, "old friends" from Xinjiang, Siberia and Mongolia arrive in Sichuan every year around the beginning of winter, and the greater scaup is one of them.

斑背潜鸭雄鸟头和颈呈黑色，带有绿色光泽。雌鸟头、颈、胸和上背褐色，带有不明显的白色羽端，形成鱼鳞状斑。在求偶时，雄鸟会发出咕咕轻声及哨音，雌鸟回声生硬粗哑，其他时候极安静。

Males have a black head and neck with a greenish sheen. Females have a brown head, neck, breast and upper back with inconspicuous white feather tips that form fish scale patches. During courtship, the male makes soft cooing and whistling sounds, while the female echoes hard and coarse, but is quiet at other times.

斑背潜鸭十分擅长游泳和潜水，通常潜水深度在2-3米。起飞吋，它的两翅急速拍打水面，在水上助跑一会才能飞起，行动显得笨拙，但飞行却很快而有力。休息时，常成群地在海上或湖面游荡，或一动不动地漂浮在水上随波逐流。

Greater scaup is good at swimming and diving, usually to the depth of 2-3 meters. When taking off, its two wings beat the water rapidly, and it can only fly after running on the water for a while. Awkward as it may look, it flies fast. When resting, it often swims in groups on the sea or lake, or floats on the water and follows with the waves.