Blue-winged Teal
Spatula discors
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
- FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
- GenusSpatula (Shovelers and Allies)
- SpeciesSpatula discors (Blue-winged Teal)
About the Blue-winged Teal
The blue-winged teal (Spatula discors) is a species of bird in the duck, goose, and swan family Anatidae. One of the smaller members of the dabbling duck group, it occurs in North America, where it breeds from southern Alaska to Nova Scotia, and south to northern Texas. It winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and south into the Caribbean islands and Central America.
The first formal description of the blue-winged teal was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae. He coined the binomial name Anas discors. A molecular phylogentic study comparing mitochondrial DNA sequences published in 2009 found that the genus Anas, as then defined, was non-monophyletic. The genus was subsequently split into four monophyletic genera with ten species including the blue-winged teal moved into the resurrected genus Spatula. This genus had been originally proposed by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1822. The name Spatula is the Latin for a "spoon" or "spatula". The specific epithet discors is the Latin for "different" or "at variance".
The blue-winged teal is 40 cm (16 in) long, with a wingspan of 58 cm... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Blue-winged Teal in Big Cypress National Preserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Big Cypress National Preserve
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata
Greater Scaup
Aythya marila
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescens
Mottled Duck
Anas fulvigula
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna autumnalis
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
Lesser Scaup
Aythya affinis
American Wigeon
Mareca americana
Common Teal
Anas crecca
Gadwall
Mareca strepera
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Blue-winged Teal in Big Cypress National Preserve?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-winged Teal sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 92 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Blue-winged Teal in Big Cypress National Preserve?
November has the highest sighting rate for Blue-winged Teal in Big Cypress National Preserve in our monthly data.