It rolled like water off a duck’s back.

A proverb

Blue-Winged Teal: Have you seen this bird?

Blue-Winged Teal (duck)

The Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) is a small dabbling duck.

Their breeding habitat is marshes and ponds throughout north and central North America. Their range is all of North America except western and northern Alaska, and the highest parts of the continent. They are rare in the desert southwest, and the west coast.

Identification Tips:
• Length: 11 inches Wingspan: 24 inches
• Small dabbling duck
• Medium-sized bill without spatulate tip
• Pale blue upper secondary coverts
• Green speculum with white leading edge
• Dark bill
• Juvenile similar to adult female

Adult male alternate:
• Alternate plumage worn from early winter through early summer
• Blue-gray head with darker cap
• White crescent on face in front of eye
• Buff breast and flanks with darker spotting
• White band at rear portion of flanks
• Black undertail coverts

Adult male basic
• Similar to adult female, but forewing brighter

Adult female:
• Pale head
• Dark crown and eye line
• Pale eye ring, and loral spot
• Mottled gray-brown body plumage with darker back

Similar species:

Adult in alternate plumage is unmistakable. Female, immature and eclipse male similar to Green-winged and Cinnamon Teals. Note the small size and small bill of the Green-winged Teals as well as the green speculum. Cinnamon Teal is very difficult to distinguish in some (female) plumages, but note the smaller bill without a spatulate tip and the more distinct facial pattern (pale loral spot and more distinct eye line) of the Blue-winged Teal.

They migrate in flocks to Central and South America. Some birds winter on the Gulf Coast and coastal California.

Blue-winged Teals feed by dabbling in shallow water at the edge of marshes or open water[2]. They mainly eat plants; their diet may include mollusks and aquatic insects.