Blue-winged teal

The blue-winged teal (Anas discors) is a small dabbling duck from North America.

Description

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). The adult male has a greyish blue head with a white facial crescent, a light brown body with a white patch near the rear and a black tail. The adult female is mottled brown, and has a whitish area at base of bill. Both sexes have sky-blue wing coverts, a green speculum, and yellow legs. They have two molts per year and a third molt in their first year. The call of the male is a short whistle; the female's call is a soft quack.

Taxonomy

The placement of the blue-winged teal or Anas discors in the genus Anas is by no means certain; a member of the "blue-winged" group also including the shovelers, it may be better placed with them in a separate genus Spatula. It is not a teal in the strict sense, and also does not seem closely related to the garganey as was for some time believed. Indeed, its color pattern is strikingly reminiscent of the Australasian shoveler. DNA analysis of this species has revealed it is very close genetically to the cinnamon teal, another American teal with blue wings.