This week on Discover Nature, watch for a swift-flying migratory duck traveling through Missouri from the north.
Blue-winged teal breed all across North America, and they leave their summer homes early, from as far north as Alaska, to overwinter along the Gulf of Mexico, and as far south as Argentina.
Adult males – called drakes – are small, each with a dark gray head and a white crescent between the eye and bill. A light blue patch adorns the forewing just above a greenish patch of feathers called a speculum.
Females – or hens – are brown and also sport a blue wing patch, but lack the green speculum below.
Find blue-winged teal foraging on aquatic vegetation such as sedges, seeds, and small invertebrates in shallow water; they rarely dive underwater.
Teal generally stay in Missouri only briefly, so the best time to find them usually occurs when cold fronts bring winds favorable for migration.
Learn more about blue-winged teal and other migratory waterfowl with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s online field guide.
Discover Nature is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
