Blue-winged Teal
Spatula discors
- 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 →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata
Cinnamon Teal
Spatula cyanoptera
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
American Wigeon
Mareca americana
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
Common Teal
Anas crecca
Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
Gadwall
Mareca strepera
Mexican Duck
Anas diazi
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescens
Redhead
Aythya americana
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Blue-winged Teal in Saguaro National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-winged Teal sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 3,303 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Blue-winged Teal in Saguaro National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Blue-winged Teal in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.