Blue-winged Teal

The adult male has a greyish blue head with a white facial crescent, a light brown body with a white patch near the rear and a black tail. The adult female is mottled brown. Both sexes have a blue wing patch. In flight, they flap their wings especially rapidly.

Their breeding habitat is marshes and ponds throughout north and central North America.

They are migratory and most winter in Central and South America. They are occasional vagrants to Europe, where their yellow legs are a distinction from other small ducks like Common Teal and Garganey.

These birds feed by dabbling. They mainly eat plants; their diet may include molluscs and aquatic insects.