Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 14.2–16.1 in
36–41 cm - Wingspan
- 22–24.4 in
56–62 cm - Weight
- 8.1–19.2 oz
230–545 g
Other Names
- Sarcelle à ailes bleues (French)
- Cerceta ala azul (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Blue-winged Teal is among the latest ducks to migrate northward in spring, and one of the first to migrate southward in fall.
- The Blue-winged Teal migrates over long distances. One individual banded in Alberta was shot in Venezuela a month later.
Habitat
Lake/Pond
Shallow ponds and seasonal and permanent wetlands.
Food
Seeds
Aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plants.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 6–14 eggs
- Egg Description
- Creamy white.
- Condition at Hatching
- Covered in yellow down with a gray-brown eye stripe. Able to leave nest soon after hatching.
Nest Description
A depression on the ground, in grassy areas near water. Lined with grasses and down.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Dabbler
Dabbles with just bill in water or tips up with entire head under water.
Conservation
Least Concern
After the Mallard, the Blue-winged Teal is the second-most abundant duck in North America. Populations subject to decline in years of drought on prairies.
Credits
- Bellrose, F. C. 1976. Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA.
- Rohwer, F. C., W. P. Johnson, and E. R. Loos. 2002. Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors). In The Birds of North America, No. 625 (A. Poole