Blue-winged Teal

Spatula discors

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
GenusSpatula (Shovelers and Allies)
SpeciesSpatula discors (Blue-winged Teal)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Cape Breton Highlands National Park

1 Verified sightings at Cape Breton Highlands National Park From 2019 to 2026

10,130 Verified sightings across all 74 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Anas rubripes

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Somateria mollissima

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Melanitta deglandi

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Branta canadensis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Bucephala clangula

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Melanitta perspicillata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Clangula hyemalis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Mergus serrator

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Mergus merganser

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Melanitta americana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Histrionicus histrionicus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Anas platyrhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~50%
2	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~40%
3	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
4	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
5	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
6	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
7	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
8	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
9	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~20%
10	Wood Buffalo National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
11	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
12	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~10%
13	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
14	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
15	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
16	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
17	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
18	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
19	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
20	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
21	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
22	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
23	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
24	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
25	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
26	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
27	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
28	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
29	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
30	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
31	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
32	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
33	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
34	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
35	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
36	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
37	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
38	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
39	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
40	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
41	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
42	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
43	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
44	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
45	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
46	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
47	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
48	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
49	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
50	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
51	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	Insufficient data
52	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
53	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	Insufficient data
54	Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
55	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
56	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	Insufficient data
57	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
58	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
59	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
60	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
61	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
62	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
63	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
64	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
65	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
66	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
67	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
68	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	Insufficient data
69	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
70	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
71	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
72	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
73	Vatnajokull National Park	🇮🇸 Iceland	Insufficient data
74	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

← Back to Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Blue-winged Teal

About the Blue-winged Teal

Recent sightings of Blue-winged Teal in Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Closest Relatives at Cape Breton Highlands National Park

American Black Duck

Common Eider

American White-winged Scoter

Canada Goose

Common Goldeneye

Surf Scoter

Long-tailed Duck

Red-breasted Merganser

Common Merganser

Black Scoter

Harlequin Duck

Mallard

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found