science education resource

Duck (Blue-winged Teal)

To view these resources with no ads, please Login or Subscribe to help support our content development.

School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

Anas discors
Duck (Blue-winged Teal)

Range

They spend the summer breeding throughout most of North America, from southern Alaska across Canada to the Atlantic Ocean. They are also found all over the Midwest and plains, south to the Gulf coast. They spend the winter in small groups on the southern coasts of the U.S. and throughout Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.

Habitat

They are found in shallow ponds and seasonal and permanent wetlands. Their largest numbers are found in areas of open prairie, in both U.S. and Canada.

Body Traits

They are small ducks, about 16 inches long at most and all grayish-brown, with a black bill. The males have a large white crescent on the front of their faces and at the base of their bill and a patch on their sides near the back. When they fly, they have a light blue patch on each of their wings. Females are dull gray-brown.

Habits

They “dabble” with just their bill in the water or tip up with their whole head under water and their tail in the air.

Diet

They eat water bugs, crayfish, seeds, and plants.

To view these resources with no ads, please Login or Subscribe to help support our content development.

School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

Reproduction

To nest, they make a dent in the ground, on a grassy spot near the water. They line it with grass. The female lays 6 - 14 white eggs.

Duck (Blue-winged Teal)

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Subfamily: Anatinae
Genus: Anas
Species: A. discors

Citing Research References

When you research information you must cite the reference. Citing for websites is different from citing from books, magazines and periodicals. The style of citing shown here is from the MLA Style Citations (Modern Language Association).

When citing a WEBSITE the general format is as follows.
Author Last Name, First Name(s). "Title: Subtitle of Part of Web Page, if appropriate." Title: Subtitle: Section of Page if appropriate. Sponsoring/Publishing Agency, If Given. Additional significant descriptive information. Date of Electronic Publication or other Date, such as Last Updated. Day Month Year of access < URL >.

Here is an example of citing this page:

Amsel, Sheri. "Duck (Blue-winged Teal)" Exploring Nature Educational Resource ©2005-2024. March 25, 2024
< http://www.exploringnature.org/db/view/122 >

Exploringnature.org has more than 2,000 illustrated animals. Read about them, color them, label them, learn to draw them.