Blue-winged Teal Drake

The Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) is not that common in California except along the coast, so I was pretty excited to discover several pair and a few non-paired individuals of the species at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge on the day I had reserved photo blind #2. Click on photos for full sized images.

Blue-winged Teal Drake

Of course the drakes get all of the glory in the duck world but I think the females are just as beautiful in their own way with their heavily patterned feathers. This is the female Blue-winged Teal. Note the blue on the top of the beak.

Blue-winged Teal Female

Blue-winged Teal breed over a large portion of North America but occur irregularly or at low densities in many portions of their range. The highest breeding densities occur in mixed-grass prairie and parklands of north-central U.S. and the prairie provinces of Canada, where the species is often the most abundant breeding duck1.

Blue-winged Teal Range Map

It was a gorgeous day at the refuge, slightly overcast and no wind created perfect conditions for wildlife photography, which is one of the important wildlife-dependent recreational activities guaranteed on our refuges.

Blue-winged Teal Drake

It was afternoon by the time the ducks decided it was time to take a break from foraging and rearrange their feathers.

Blue-winged Teal Drake Stretching

They kept a close eye on me but finally relaxed enough to preen freely…

Blue-winged Teal Drake Stretching

and really show their stuff.

Blue-winged Teal Drake Stretching

Blue-winged Teal Drake

Once every feather is clean and in place, it’s time to relax and enjoy a little shut eye.

Blue-winged Teal Drake

I was able to shoot some video of the Blue-winged Teal pair preening and foraging at the refuge. A couple of Green-winged Teal drakes shared in the activity. You will also hear several Marsh Wrens in the background. They were seen and heard all over the refuge wherever bulrush was found.

This short video shows the head shaking behavior Blue-winged Teal exhibit just before they take flight when they feel uneasy or threatened. It also includes Black-necked Stilts, Green-winged Teal, and American Coots. You can also hear Red-winged Blackbirds, Western Meadowlark and more Marsh Wrens singing.

If you enjoy our National Wildlife Refuges as much as I do, please join us in support of a new revenue stream for our refuge system in the form of a Wildlife Conservation Stamp.

References:1Birds of North America Online

Written by Larry
Larry Jordan was introduced to birding after moving to northern California where he was overwhelmed by the local wildlife, forcing him to buy his first field guide just to be able to identify all the species visiting his yard. Building birdhouses and putting up feeders brought the avian fauna even closer and he was hooked. Larry wanted to share his passion for birds and conservation and hatched The Birder's Report in September of 2007. His recent focus is on bringing the Western Burrowing Owl back to life in California where he also monitors several bluebird trails. He is a BirdLife Species Champion and contributes to several other conservation efforts, being the webmaster for Wintu Audubon Society and the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Urban Bird Foundation. He is now co-founder of a movement to create a new revenue stream for our National Wildlife Refuges with a Wildlife Conservation Pass.