Food use (aggregate % dry mass in diet), food availability (aggregate % dry mass in wetlands), and food selection for blue-winged teal Anas discors by age (after-hatch-year [AHY] and hatch-year [HY]) collected from 13 wetlands in the Rainwater Basin of Nebraska, March–May 2008 and 2009. The young leave the nest within a day of hatching and can swim and find their own food immediately. Yearlings tend to lay smaller clutches. These invertebrates make up a larger proportion of their diet than that of other dabblers. Appearance. [10], Blue-winged teal often use heavy growth of bulrushes and cattails as escape cover. Teal are small ducks, fast in flight, flocks twisting and turning in unison. Like other dabblers, Blue-winged Teal eat grass and aquatic plant seeds, as well as insects and other aquatic invertebrates. Blue-winged Teal are highly migratory and are, for the most part, absent from the majority of North America during the cold months of the year. They typically arrive in mid-April and depart by the end of September. They are occasional vagrants to Europe, where their yellow legs are a distinction from other small ducks like the common teal and garganey,[8][9] and in recent years have been annual vagrants in Britain and Ireland. [16] Erik Fritzell reported that blue-winged teal nests located in light to sparse cover were more successful than those in heavy cover. The blue-winged teal favors areas dominated by bluegrass (Poa spp.) Males migrate again from mid-July to mid-August, moving to larger marshes to undergo their molt. [11][12][17] Blue-winged teal are sexually mature after their first winter. [10][11][12], Common predators of blue-winged teal include humans, snakes, snapping turtles (Chlycha serpentina), dogs, cats, muskellunge, American crows (Corvus brachyrhnchos), magpies (Pica spp. This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Department of Agriculture document: .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}"Anas discors". Juveniles and females are mottled brown with a dark bill and yellowish legs. The blue-winged teal is a tame and sociable duck. [10][11][12] The seeds of plants that grow on mud flats, such as nutgrass (Cyperus spp. Animal food consumption by adults (sexes not distinguished) breeding in Saskatchewan declined after July (Dirschl 1969) but remained high in Blue-winged teal are generally the first ducks south in the fall and the last ones north in the spring. The little Green-winged Teal is the smallest dabbling duck in North America. Blue-winged teal renew their pair bonds each year during winter and early spring, and not often with a previous mate. [5][6] The name Spatula is the Latin for a "spoon" or "spatula". Females usually build their nests in marshes in native prairie grasslands. They are named blue-winged because there is a patch of blue on the forewings of both sexes.In flight, the Blue-winged Teal is swift, reaching speeds of up to 72 km/h (45 mph).. Like other dabbling ducks, this species generally hops into the air directly from the water, without … Blue-winged teal are surface feeders and prefer to feed on mud flats, in fields, or in shallow water where there is floating and shallowly submerged vegetation plus abundant small aquatic animal life. The nest is a shallow depression with some grass or weeds, lined with down and usually well concealed by vegetation. ), cattail (Typha spp. Winter diet of Blue-winged Teal Anas discors, Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis, and Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata in east-central Texas. Blue-winged Teal are early migrants, so they're gone from much of the U.S. before duck-hunting season begins in many states. What do teals eat? The blue-winged teal (Spatula discors) is a species of bird in the duck, goose, and swan family Anatidae. The blue-winged teal is also found in wetlands of boreal forest associations, shortgrass prairies, tallgrass prairies, and deciduous woodlands. Washington representatives of the order all belong to one family: The waterfowl family is represented in Washington by two distinct groups—the geese and swans, and the ducks. The natty male has a cinnamon-colored head with a gleaming green crescent that extends from the eye to the back of the head. Blue-winged Teal now outnumber Cinnamon Teal in some parts of eastern Washington. The female incubates 9 to 13 eggs alone for 23 to 24 days. Blue-winged Teal are small dabblers with long bodies and bills. ), widgeongrass (Ruppia maritima), and other emergent and aquatic vegetation. The blue-winged teal is 40 cm (16 in) long, with a wingspan of 58 cm (23 in), and a weight of 370 g (13 oz). ), Widgeongrass, and muskgrass (Chara spp.). Nesting success was 47% on grazed areas and 14% on ungrazed areas. During incubation, the drake leaves its mate and moves to suitable molting cover where it becomes flightless for a period of 3 to 4 weeks. [17] Grasses, sedges, and hayfields provide nesting cover for these ducks. Most have plump bodies, long necks and short wings. The blue-winged teal is a small dabbling duck from North America. ), sedges (Carex spp. [12] One-fourth of the food consumed by blue-winged teal is animal matter such as mollusks, crustaceans, and insects. Blue-winged Teal, Anas discors, are among the smallest of the dabbling ducks.The drake has a very prominent white facial crest between the bill and eye, a brown spotted breast and flanks, a pale blue shoulder patch and a black rear end. [8][9], The breeding range extends from east-central Alaska and southern Mackenzie District east to southern Quebec and southwestern Newfoundland. [10], Blue-winged teal winter on shallow inland freshwater marshes and brackish and saltwater marshes. West of the Cascades they are uncommon breeders, and their range is somewhat limited to freshwater wetlands in the Puget Trough and coastal areas. Description: The Blue-winged Teal is 40 cm (15.5") long, with a 58 cm (23") wingspan and weighs 180 g (13 oz). Diet: Seeds of aquatic vegetation such as grasses, smartweeds, sedges, pondweeds; other aquatic plant matter; insects, crustaceans, … Social Behavior 1974b, Dubowy 1988). He has a white crescent-shaped patch on his face and a white patch on the side of his rump. [8][9] They have two molts per year and a third molt in their first year. When foraging they usually stick to very shallow water, plucking food items from the surface and swimming with their heads partially submerged. ), and Rice Cut-grass (Leersia oryzoides), are avidly consumed by this duck. Diet. NESTING: The nest is a scrape on the ground lined with vegetation in a well-hidden area not far from water. While flying, we can see the blue speculum on the wing, making the bird unmistakable. Habitat/Diet . [12][17], During one study, about half of the nest failures of blue-winged teal were caused by mammals. The green-winged teal (Anas carolinensis or Anas crecca carolinensis) is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands.It was considered conspecific with the Eurasian teal (A. crecca) for some time but the issue is still being reviewed by the American Ornithological Society; based on this the IUCN and … and large amounts of aquatic invertebrates found in shallowly flooded wetlands. [16] Blue-winged teal generally nest within several hundred yards of open water; however, nests have been found as far as 1.61 km (1 mi) away from water. This shift is most likely due to large damming projects that have converted small wetlands into large reservoirs more favorable to the Blue-winged than the Cinnamon Teal. Nesting. Small groups of Blue-wings often are seen standing on stumps or rocks at the water's edge. Whistling-ducks are also considered a distinct subfamily, and, although they have not been sighted in Washington in many years, Fulvous Whistling-Ducks have been recorded historically in Washington and remain on the official state checklist. Most feed while on the water, diving or merely tilting their bodies so that their heads and necks are submerged to search for fish, plants and invertebrates. Delayed nesting and renesting efforts have substantially smaller clutches, averaging five to six eggs. Occasionally, they feed on aquatic insects, crustaceans, clams and snails. They will also nest in areas with very short, sparse vegetation. Blue-winged Teal nest on the ground in prairies, coastal meadows, and other open areas. [10] In coastal areas, breeding occurs in salt-marsh meadows with adjoining ponds or creeks. Behavior: Forages in very shallow water, swimming with head submerged or picking items off the surface of the water. The specific epithet discors is the Latin for "different" or "at variance". Couples start to form in winter and stay together through migration. The Blue-winged Teal Spatula discors is a small dabbling duck that in 2009 had a generic reassignment so it is no longer Anas. Their heads are dark blue-gray with a distinctive white crescent in front of each eye. Striped and Spotted Skunks were responsible for two-thirds of these losses. ), pondweed (Potamogeton spp. Populations are highly responsive to wetland conditions in their breeding range; those years with many small temporary wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region typically produce large hatches of this species. [3] The genus was subsequently split into four monophyletic genera with ten species including the blue-winged teal moved into the resurrected genus Spatula. Length: 14 - 16" Habitat: Breeding habitat: Freshwater marshes, marshy vegetation at the edges of ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams.. Winter habitat: Shallow freshwater, brackish, or saltwater marches.. Most blue-winged teal flocks seen after mid-September are composed largely of adult hens and immatures. They hatch covered in down and can swim and eat on their own almost immediately after hatching. [12] Incubation takes 21 to 27 days. [12][17] Few nests are started after mid-July. Large numbers of blue-winged teal appear on wintering grounds in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas in September. Single males arrive first, with pairs and unpaired females following. The first formal description of the blue-winged teal was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae. The adult female is mottled brown, and has a whitish area at base of bill. He coined the binomial name Anas discors. If you find the information on BirdWeb useful, please consider supporting Seattle Audubon. These flocks are noted for their ability to take to the air rapidly and perform complex maneuvers in tight formation. Fall migration starts in early August, and most birds are gone by mid-October. ), ground squirrels, coyotes (Canis latrans), red foxes (Vulpes fulva), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), raccoons (Procyon lotor), long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata), American minks (Mustela vison), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), spotted skunks (Spilogale putorius), and American badgers (Taxidea taxus). Clutch size can also vary with the age of the hen. These ducks prefer to forage in shallow water and will often choose a concealed spot near the edge of a pond to feed. [8], The range is all of North America except western and northern Alaska, northern Yukon Territory, northern Northwest Territories and the northeastern area of Canada. [8][9][10], Blue-winged teal inhabit shoreline more often than open water and prefer calm water or sluggish currents to fast water. [10] They build their nests on dry ground in grassy sites such as bluegrass meadows, hayfields, and sedge meadows. Unlock thousands of full-length species accounts and hundreds of bird family overviews when you subscribe to Birds of the World. All members of the waterfowl family have large clutches of precocial young. When foraging they usually stick to very shallow water, swimming with head submerged or picking items off the of. Are noted for their ability to take to the air please consider supporting Seattle Audubon until December behavior blue-winged..., goose, and the west Coast often perched on stumps, rocks and trunks... Typically arrive in mid-April and depart by the German blue-winged teal diet Friedrich Boie in 1822 were successful! Breeding range west of the blue-winged teal populations from early September until early November smartweed ( Polygonum spp..... Fast and agile flyers, blue-winged teal is small duck 14-16 inches in length with a wingspan of inches. 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