Anas discors (Blue Winged Teal)

Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Dutch:

Blauwvleugeltaling

Common Names in English:

August Teal, Blue Winged Teal, Blue-Wing, Blue-Winged Teal, Summer Teal, White-Faced Teal

Common Names in French:

Sarcelle � Ailes Bleues, Sarcelle à Ailes Bleues, Sarcelle Soucrourou

Common Names in German:

Blauflügelente

Common Names in Italian:

Marzaiola Americana

Common Names in Japanese:

ミカヅキシマアジ

Common Names in Spanish:

Cerceta Ala Azul, Cerceta Aliazul

Description

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Physical Description

Adult Female: Head : brown Face : pale Eyebrow Line : pale Bill: dark gray Length : short Neck: buffy, finely streaked with dusky Throat : pale Body: Belly: whitish, mottled with dark brown Color: brown with dark chevron-shaped spots Underparts: duller than male Legs : Leg Color: yellowish.Adult Male: Head: dark blue-gray Face: Cheeks: large white crescent between eye and bil Facial Skin : yellowish Bill: dark Length: short Size: small Neck: Throat: pale Body: tawny brown with dark spotting Mantle: dark brown, scalloped with buff Underparts: reddish-brown, speckled Upperparts: pinkish buff, spotted with black Legs: Femorals: white patch Leg Color: yellowish Wings: Coverts: blue Greater Coverts: tipped white Secondaries: green.

Color:

Large gray-blue patch on the wing; green speculum, (the group of feathers located on the inner back portion of the wing). The male has a slate-blue head with a large white crescent, a mottled-brown chest and sides, and a white patch in front of the black tail. The female is mottled brown overall.

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

Size/Age/Growth

About 14 to 16 inches long, with a wingspan of 23 to 31 inches. Adults weigh about 14.4 ounces .

Habitat

The Blue-winged Teal uses a variety of lakes , ponds , and marshes throughout the year.

Vegetation: freshwater marshes, freshwater lakes and ponds • Maximum Elevation: 2,600 meters • Sensitivity to Disturbancet: Low

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 4,535 meters (0 to 14,879 feet).[1]

Biology

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Diet

The main foods of this species include seeds, other plants materials , aquatic insects, and invertebrates . It gathers food by taking food floating on the water's surface or near the surface or by "up-ending," tipping its tail end up while its head and upper body go beneath the surface to take food from aquatic vegetation.

Reproduction

The breeding season begins in early May. Nesting habitat is usually a small body of water , including small ponds , lakes , prairie pot-holes , and marshes. The nest is usually placed on the ground and hidden by vegetation. The female builds the nest of grass and other plant material . She lays 6-15 (usually 8-11) eggs that she incubates for approximately 24 days. The young are precocial and are cared for by the female. They leave the nest shortly after hatching and usually gain independence about 35-44 days after hatching.

Breeding Habitat: Wetland-open water
Clutch Size: 6-15
Length of Incubation : 24(23-27) days
Days to Fledge : 35-44
Number of Broods: 1

Migration

Migratory

Taxonomy

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Kingdom: Animalia () - animals
- Phylum: Chordata () - Chordates
  - Class: Aves () - Birds
    - Order: Anseriformes () - Ducks, Geese
      - Subfamily: Anatinae ()
        Tribe: Anatini ()
        Genus: Anas () - Linnaeus 1758 Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.122
        Specific name: discors - Linnaeus 1766 Syst.Nat.ed.12 p.205
        Scientific name: - Anas discors Linnaeus 1766

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001.

Similar Species

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Northern Shoveler, Green-Winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal

Members of the genus Anas

There are approximately 186 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

BirdLife International 2004. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 18, 2008.
Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 and ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 11, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 24 providers.
Peterson, Alan P. Zoological Nomenclature Resource. Accessed June 19, 2009.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 11, 2007:

Avian Knowledge Network, eBird
Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, North West Territories and Nunavut Bird Checklist, Canada
Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Ontario Nest Records
Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Birds
Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Royal British Columbia Museum
Marine Science Institute, UCSB, Paleobiology Database
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
New Brunswick Museum, NBM birds
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara Musem of Natural History
Senckenberg, Collection Aves
UNIBIO, IBUNAM, CNAV/Coleccion Nacional de Aves
University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
, Bird specimens

Identifiers

Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3854377
Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-175088
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13729682
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 175086
IUCN ID: 47192
Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ABNJB10130
Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 222

Footnotes

Mean = 349.870 meters (1,147.867 feet), Standard Deviation = 476.040 based on 19,994 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

Anas discors

Common Names

Description

Physical Description

Size/Age/Growth

Habitat

Biology

Diet

Reproduction

Migration

Taxonomy

Notes

Similar Species

Members of the genus Anas

More Info

Further Reading

Notes

Contributors

Data Sources

Identifiers

Footnotes