Blue-winged Teal

The Blue-winged Teal is a small dabbling duck breeding widely across the prairie regions of North America and wintering as far south as South America, making it one of the longest-distance migrants among North American ducks.

Breeding males show a slate-grey head with a bold white crescent in front of the eye, above a mottled brown body with black-spotted flanks, while both sexes share a pale blue patch on the upper wing coverts that is a hallmark of this species and its close relatives.

Feathers can be identified by their small size relative to most dabbling ducks, the shared pale blue wing patch, and, in males, the distinctive white facial crescent feathers against a slate-grey head.

Size and shape

• Small dabbling-duck contour and flight feathers, notably smaller than Mallard or Gadwall feathers
• Pale blue upperwing covert feathers, similar to those of Shoveler and Cinnamon Teal but smaller

Color and pattern

• Male head feathers slate-grey with a bold white crescent-shaped patch in front of the eye
• Male body feathers mottled brown with dark spotting on the flanks, a small white patch near the base of the tail
• Female body feathers mottled brown overall, plainer-faced than the male
• Speculum feathers green, bordered by a white band, adjacent to the pale blue covert patch shared by both sexes

Distinguishing from similar species

• Overall smaller than Northern Shoveler, which shares the blue wing patch but is a notably larger, bulkier duck
• Compare with Cinnamon Teal: male Blue-winged Teal has a distinct white facial crescent and mottled brown body, while male Cinnamon Teal is uniformly deep rufous-red with no facial crescent
• Female Blue-winged and Cinnamon Teal are very similar and difficult to separate reliably from feathers alone

Breeding males show a slate-grey head with a white facial crescent, mottled brown body with dark flank spotting, and a small white patch near the tail base. Females are mottled brown overall, closely resembling female Cinnamon Teal. Males undergo a notably early eclipse molt, resuming a female-like appearance for part of the year. All undergo a flightless period during wing molt.

Breeds widely across the prairie pothole region and other wetlands of North America, favoring shallow marshes and ponds. It is one of the earliest ducks to migrate south in autumn and one of the latest to return in spring, wintering from the southern United States through Mexico, Central America, and into South America. It is strongly migratory.

Feeds by dabbling in shallow water for seeds, aquatic invertebrates, and vegetation, often in small, tight flocks. Nests on the ground in grassy cover near water. Voice includes soft, high-pitched calls, generally quieter than larger dabbling ducks. Its long migratory journeys mean feathers of this species can turn up across a very broad range spanning two continents.