Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Spatula ("spoon") discors ("different")

Non-breeding Adult/Immature Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) at Saskatoon Lake, Alberta, Canada - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 370g  /  Length: 40cm  /  Wingspan: 58cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

For a bird with such a specificatlly descriptive name, the blue wings of the Blue-winged teal aren't actually visible when the bird is on the water with the upper wings in flight or when preening revealing a large powder-blue area covering the upper forewing. Instead, in ambigous eclipse plumage, at rest one must go by more subtle clues, in this case, the white area at the base of the bill separating it from the more common Green-winged Teal.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Spatula
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA -Breeds throughout most of lower latitudes of Canada
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen at Saskatoon Lake 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto