Blue-winged Teal

About this Species

The Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) is a small, dabbling duck that breeds in North America and migrates to Central and South America during the winter. The Yucatan Peninsula, located in southeastern Mexico, is a key wintering area for this species.

Blue-winged Teals feed on a variety of aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates. During the winter, they inhabit a variety of wetland habitats in the Yucatan Peninsula, including freshwater marshes, ponds, and lagoons. These wetlands provide important sources of food and shelter for the ducks during the winter months.

Breeding pairs of Blue-winged Teals typically form in late winter or early spring, and the female will lay a clutch of 9-12 eggs in a concealed nest near water. After hatching, the ducklings are precocial and able to feed themselves soon after birth. While in the Yucatan Peninsula, the Blue-winged Teal is also known to hybridize with the Cinnamon Teal, another species of dabbling duck that occasionally winters in the region.