Blue-winged Teal
Spatula discors
They are among the fastest ducks in flight and are often the very first species to migrate south as soon as the late summer heat begins to fade.
- Scientific name
- Spatula discors
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Anseriformes › Anatidae › Spatula
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Shallow freshwater ponds, marshes, and prairie potholes with abundant floating vegetation.
- Diet
- Omnivorous; consumes aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and the vegetative parts of aquatic plants.
- Range
- North America, Central America, South America, Caribbean
- Size
- Length: 36-41 cm; Wingspan: 56-62 cm; Weight: 280-500g.
- Lifespan
- Up to 17 years in the wild, though 3-5 years is more common.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland drainage for agriculture, water pollution, and ingestion of lead shot in hunting areas.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. Blue-winged Teals are shy; maintain a distance of at least 30 feet to avoid causing them stress or forcing them to take flight. If you find an injured bird, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator.
The blue-winged teal ( Spatula discors ) is a species of bird in the duck, goose, and swan family Anatidae. One of the smaller members of the dabbling duck group, it occurs in North America, where it breeds from southern Alaska to Nova Scotia, and south to northern Texas. It winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and south into the Caribbean islands and Central America.
Photo: Quentin Benet-Cibois, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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