# Blue-winged Teal (*Spatula discors*) The Blue-winged Teal is a small duck with beautiful blue wings! They love to swim in ponds and marshes, and they often travel in groups called flocks. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 10 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Blue-winged Teal](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Blue-wingedTeal-16DEC2017.jpg&width=800) Photo: ADJ82, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue-wingedTeal-16DEC2017.jpg) ## Appearance The Blue-winged Teal has a distinctive blue patch on its forewing, visible in flight and at rest, contrasting with iridescent green speculum feathers. Males display a prominent white crescent on their face in front of the eye, while females are mottled brown with a paler face. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Spatula ## Interesting facts - Blue-winged Teals get their name from their amazing bright blue wing feathers! - Male blue-winged teals have a high-pitched whistling call, not a typical quack! - These ducks are among the last to migrate north in spring and first to leave in fall. - They migrate all the way to South America, one of the longest duck journeys! ## Special abilities - **Rapid Take-off:** Blue-winged Teal has strong leg muscles that allow for a quick, vertical take-off from the water, helping them escape predators. - **Filter-Feeder Finesse:** Blue-winged Teal can skim the water surface, using specialized bill lamellae to filter tiny aquatic invertebrates and seeds. - **Long-Distance Traveler:** Blue-winged Teal can migrate thousands of kilometers annually, guided by instinct to warm wintering grounds. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 35-46 cm - **Wingspan:** 58-79 cm - **Weight:** 0.28-0.57 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-17 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 6-17 - **Incubation:** 21-27 days - **Migration Distance:** 6400 km ## Diet & Feeding Blue-winged Teals dabble in shallow water to eat tiny plants, seeds, and aquatic insects. - **Primary Foods:** aquatic insects, seeds, small crustaceans, algae, aquatic plants - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Peregrine Falcon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — A fast raptor that preys on waterfowl, especially during migration. - **Eats:** [Common Duckweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-duckweed) (*Lemna minor*) — Consumes these tiny floating plants in slow-moving water. - **Eats:** Water Flea (*Daphnia pulex*) — Filters these small crustaceans from the water. - **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — Raids nests for eggs and preys on ducklings near shorelines. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch ducks from a distance and don't feed them bread. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Blue-winged Teal? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Blue-winged Teal? 35-46 cm ### What is Blue-winged Teal's wingspan? 58-79 cm ### How much does Blue-winged Teal weigh? 0.28-0.57 kg ### How long does Blue-winged Teal live? 10-17 years ### How fast can Blue-winged Teal move? 70 km/h ### What does Blue-winged Teal eat? Blue-winged Teals dabble in shallow water to eat tiny plants, seeds, and aquatic insects. ### Where is Blue-winged Teal usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [McClellan Creek National Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mcclellan-creek-national-grassland) — Texas, US · National Park - [Sod House Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sod-house-ranch) — Oregon, US · Historic Site - [Sedgwick County Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sedgwick-county-zoo) — Kansas, US · Zoo - [Danebod](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/danebod) — Minnesota, US · Historic District - [International Peace Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/international-peace-garden) — US · Botanical Garden - [Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/key-west-tropical-forest-and-botanical-garden) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Blue-winged Teal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/blue-winged-teal) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Blue-winged Teal: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-winged-teal)