The Blue-Winged Teal is the second most abundant duck in the United States (Cornell Lab of Ornithology 2003). During migration, it is the last species to arrive, and the first species to leave (Cornell Lab of Ornithology 2003).

It is known to hybridize with the Cinnamon Teal, where their ranges overlap (Ehrlich et al. 1988). The male Blue-winged Teal will defend the female and territory during nest site selection, egg laying, and the beginning portion of incubation (Elphick et al. 2000). Towards the end of incubation, the male deserts the female (Ehrlich et al. 1988).

Breeding habitat:
Breeds in wet, grassy habitats in the northern Plains, such as marshes and sloughs, as well as ponds and lakes (Ehrlich et al. 1988).

Mating system:
Monogamous.

Nest:
The nest is a depression made on the ground concealed by vegetation, which is made by the female. The nest is usually found in grass or cattails and is lined with fine materials. The female selects the site for the nest, but the male often occupies her in doing so (Ehrlich et al. 1988).

Eggs:
The eggs are unmarked creamy or olive white, 1.8? (47 mm). It typically lays 8-11 in a clutch and only has one brood per year (Ehrlich et al. 1988).

Chick development:
The female incubates the eggs for 21-25 days. The young are born totally precocial, finding their own food. The female is responsible for the care of the young and is often injured defending them. The hatchlings will fledge in 35-44 days (Ehrlich et al. 1988).

Diet:
It feeds primarily on seeds, but also feeds on insects and snails. It forages by taking food from the surface of the water or just below. It will also submerge its head to reach food on the substrate (Ehrlich et al. 1988).

This species is very abundant in the United States, but not in this region.

Breeding Range:
Central eastern Canada south to the north and east of the Great Lakes into the western tip of New York, west to Wisconsin, southwest to southwestern Kansas, northwest to eastern Washington (Kaufman 2000).

Winter Range:
Southern portion of the United States, Central America, and northwest portion of South America (Cornell Lab of Ornithology 2003).

The Blue-Winged Teal is a regularly seen in Tennessee and has been known to breed in the state (Tennessee Ornithological Society 2006). In North Carolina, it is typically a transient, but has been found breeding in some counties (Potter et al. 1980).

In Tennessee this species is considered rare and imperiled for breeding (Withers et al. 2004). In North Carolina, it is rare to uncommon, but likely not in trouble. It has bred in North Carolina historically, but this has not been confirmed in the last 20 years (LeGrand and Hall 1999).

References:

Alsop, F. J. III. 1991. Birds Of The Smokies. Great Smoky Mountains History Association, Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2003. Available at All About Birds: Blue-winged Teal. Accessed on March 31, 2006.

Ehrlich, P. R., D. S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The Birder?s Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon and Schuster, Inc. New York.

Elphick, C., J. B. Dunning, Jr., and D.A. Sibley, eds. 2001. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.

Kaufman, K. 2000. Birds of North America. Hillstar Editions L. C. New York.

LeGrand, H. E. and Hall, S. P., compilers. 1999. Natural Heritage Program List of the Rare Animals of North Carolina. North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, Division of Parks and Recreation, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Reso

Potter, E. F., J. F. Parnell, and R. P. Teulings. 1980. Birds of the Carolinas. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.

Stupka, A. 1963. Notes on the Birds of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN.

Tennessee Ornithological Society. 2006. Available at The Official Checklist of the Birds of Tennessee. Accessed on April 7, 2006.

Withers, D. I., K. Condict, and R. McCoy. 2004. A Guide to the Rare Animals of Tennessee. Division of Natural Heritage, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.