This image was taken in late March a couple of years ago. I wanted to post this one because it shows all the species of Teal ducks I have yet to encounter. There are seven ducks pictured. The one on the left in the background is unidentifiable for obvious reasons. However, from left to right, a female Cinnamon Teal, followed by a male Blue-winged Teal, and a male Cinnamon Teal, who are trailed by a female Blue-winged Teal. Finally on the far right, two male Green-winged Teals, one up and one down. Tah dah!

You can read more about the various teals by following the links below:

green wing teals

blue-winged teals

cinnamon teals

I love ducks, and Texas has many kinds of ducks that live as residents and others that migrate through the state during the spring and fall. The part of  the state where I currently reside is full of temporary lakes known as playas. These are the places I find all kinds of migratory waterfowl and get to see an interesting spectrum of species that pass through this region. The ducks in these photographs and the related posts were seen on the Fort Worth Nature Center and Preserve. Habitat for these creatures is essential and wise land management choices means we will have them to enjoy in the future.

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In the first image there are two female ducks and a male Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptera. One or both of the females may be Cinnamon Teal but they also maybe Blue-winged Teal. If their heads weren’t beneath the water or turned so you can’t see their profile, you could look for the white patch of feathers found just behind the beak in Blue-winged Teal females. In Cinnamon Teal females, this patch is tinged with yellow if it is present and can be much smaller than with Blue-winged Teal, or completely absent. So, I refrained from calling them by either name. This points out how closely related these ducks are. They are in the family Anatidae and in the same subfamily Anatinae. They are found together throughout their range because of habitat and food preferences.

The second photo shows a male Cinnamon Teal who has mud halfway up his beak because he has been foraging there for food.

This image shows another male Cinnamon Teal with mud on his beak and forehead swallowing something tasty from deep in the mud. These creatures will eat water plants and seeds as well as tiny planktonic creatures they filter with their beaks.

The post Cinnamon Teal Close Cousins Of Blue-winged Teal appeared first on GJM Nature Media.