Blue-winged Teal
(Spatula discors)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding SNRB - Unranked Breeding |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Size |
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14″ to 16″ in length 23″ wingspan |
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Voice |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Shallow lake edges, ponds, and wetlands |
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Biology |
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Migration |
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April to September |
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Nesting |
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Food |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Common migrant and breeder |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Anseriformes (waterfowl) | ||
Family |
Anatidae (ducks, geese, and swans) | ||
| Subfamily | Anatinae (dabbling ducks) | ||
Genus |
Spatula (shovelers and allies) | ||
This species was originally placed in the genus Anas. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2009 showed that the genus contained members with different evolutionary ancestors – it was polyphyletic. The genus was split into four new genera. This species and nine others were placed in the resurrected genus Spatula. |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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The eastern population has been treated as a subspecies, Anas discors orphna, but that separation is not been widely accepted. There are currently no recognized supspecies. |
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Synonyms |
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Anas discors Anas discors discors Anas discors orphana Querquedula discors |
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Visitor Photos |
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Share your photo of this bird. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach one or more photos and, if you like, a caption. |
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Dan W. Andree |
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Green-winged Drake and a pair of Blue-winged Teal... The little green-winged was drying off and the pair of blue-winged wandered over. I cropped this image off 4k video I took of them that day. The little green-winged almost looks like it has a green eye mask on. Green-winged teal have become one of my favorite little ducks. Glad some showed up in an area I happened to be out in. Particularly since I had never seen a green-winged in the wild before. |
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Blue-winged Teals... Blue-winged certainly fits their description. |
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Spring Arrivals They eventually all flew off together. |
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Ramona Abrego |
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Bill Reynolds |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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| Blue-winged Teal Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren |
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| Blue-winged Teal JMC Nature Photos |
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| Blue-winged Teal Joshua Mayer |
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About
Spatula discors |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this bird. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Attach a video, a YouTube link, or a cloud storage link. |
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Other Videos |
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| Blue-winged Teal (Anatidae: Spatula discors) Male and Female Carl Barrentine |
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About
Uploaded on May 13, 2010 Photographed at the Kellys Slough NWR, North Dakota (13 May 2010). |
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| Male Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) Kevin Cavallin |
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About
Uploaded on Apr 17, 2011 I got lucky today and saw a few different species of ducks |
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| Blue-winged Teal Karen Hogan |
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About
Published on Dec 15, 2013 Blue-winged Teal at Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge 3-28-13. Video 5686 |
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| Blue-winged Teal Janelle Streed |
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About
Uploaded on Nov 15, 2011 Wild Blue-winged Teal (male and female) on a slew in Minnesota. May 2011 Blessings |
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| Blue-winged Teal Philip Parsons |
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About
Published on Nov 11, 2013 Blue-winged Teal, drake, filmed at Wellington gravel pits, New workings, Herefordshire, England on Sunday 10th November 2013. Filmed using high magnification.Best viewed using 1080p HD or 720p HD! |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this bird. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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| Dan W. Andree 5/4/2023 |
Location: at a wetland in Norman co. Mn The little green-winged was drying off and the pair of blue-winged wandered over. I cropped this image off 4k video I took of them that day. The little green-winged almost looks like it has a green eye mask on. Green-winged teal have become one of my favorite little ducks. Glad some showed up in an area I happened to be out in. Particularly since I had never seen a green-winged in the wild before. |
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| Ramona Abrego | Location: Becker County |
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| Dan W. Andree 5/3/2018 |
Location: rural Norman Co. Mn They eventually all flew off together. |
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| Bill Reynolds 5/16/2008 |
Agassiz WMA |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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