Geese, Ducks, Mergansers

Blue-winged Teal, Anas discors

Family Anatidae (Geese, Ducks, Mergansers)

Size: 16"

Season: Summer

Habitat: Freshwater marshes and mudflats, wet agricultural areas

Often seen in large flocks, the blue-winged teal, also known as the white-faced teal, is a small duck that skims the water surface for aquatic plants and invertebrates. The male is mottled brown below, with a prominent white patch near the hip area, and is dark above, with gray on the head and a white vertical crescent at the base of the bill. The female is brownish, with scalloped flanks and a plain head with a dark eye line, and is pale at the lores. Both sexes have a light-blue wing patch visible in flight. The breeding female (top) and breeding male (bottom) are illustrated.