Blue-winged Teal
Learn to identify the Blue-winged Teal by ear. Master the "peep-peep" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Blue-winged Teal sounds like
Soft, high peeping whistles pass among several birds. The recording captures a small group, not a documented solo courtship display.
How to tell it apart
Where you'll hear it
Long-distance migrant. Breeds across the northern United States and southern Canada; winters from the southern United States through Central America to northern South America.
Prefers shallow freshwater wetlands with abundant emergent vegetation, including marshes, ponds, sloughs, and flooded fields. During migration and winter, also uses brackish marshes, coastal lagoons, and rice fields. Nests in grassy upland areas near water, often in dense vegetation.
Among the later ducks to head north in spring and among the first to move south in fall. During breeding, pairs use shallow wetlands; after nesting, flocks gather and depart early.
How to recognize it by sight
A small, compact dabbling duck with a relatively large bill for its size. Males in breeding plumage have a slate-gray head with a bold white crescent in front of the eye, a speckled brown-and-black body, and a black rear end bordered by a white hip patch. Both sexes show a distinctive powder-blue patch on the forewing in flight. Females are mottled brown with a whitish area at the base of the bill and a dark eye line.
Similar species
Cinnamon Teal
Male Cinnamon Teal has rich reddish-brown body plumage rather than speckled brown-and-black.
Green-winged Teal
Smaller overall with a shorter neck and bill.
Northern Shoveler
Larger overall with a much larger, spatulate bill.