Home
Ranking fourth in numbers among North American ducks, surveys show that blue-winged teals have been on the decline since the 1950s.
Blue-winged teal
Blue-winged Teal 
Anas discors
Blue-winged teal, like other teal are the half-pints of the duck world. About half the size of a mallard, they are easily recognized by their grey-blue shoulder patch and by the male's white head-crescent and flank patch. Ranking fourth in numbers among North American ducks, surveys show they have been on the decline since the 1950s. From a high of more than 5 million, they have dropped as low as 3 million or less in recent years. Blue-winged teal populations seem highly sensitive to drought but undoubtedly their greatest problem remains the removal of their habitat and its conversion by humans to other uses such as agriculture, suburban expansion and road-building.
Habitat: Grasslands bordering small potholes and other freshwater wetlands.
Range: Coast-to-coast though most breed in prairie and parkland. Winters as far south as Peru.
