ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - Cinnamon Teal

 Cinnamon Teal

Cinnamon Teal
Photo by Richard Day/Daybreak Imagery		 Puddle ducks are typically birds of fresh, shallow marshes and rivers rather than of large lakes and bays. They are good divers, but usually feed by dabbling or tipping rather than by submerging. Any duck feeding in croplands will likely be a puddle duck, for most of this group are surefooted and can walk and run well on land. Their diet consists of mostly vegetables. In the Pacific Flyway, cinnamon teal are far more common than blue-winged teal.

Cinnamon Teal
Anas cyanoptera

At-a-Glance

• Type: Puddle Duck

• Peak Breeding Activity: April-June

• Incubation: 21-25 days

• Clutch Size: 4-16 eggs

• Young Fledge: 49 days after hatching

• Typical Foods: seeds, vegetation, and aquatic insects
Description
The pale blue forewing patch of the cinnamon teal is the best field mark, as drakes are usually in eclipse until January or longer. The hens of this species and the blue-winged teal look alike.

Habitat and Habits
The cinnamon teal inhabits marshes, ponds, and streams bordered with reeds. Drakes have a whistling peep and hens utter a low quack.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
The female constructs a half-moon shaped nest out of plant stems and dead grass. Young birds are precocial and leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching. The ducklings are able to feed themselves from the first day that they hatch. However, they remain under the care of the female until fledging.