BLUE -WINGED TEAL 

 (Anas discors) 



[DA: Blavinget And, DU: Blauwvleugeltaling , FI: Sinisiipitavi , FR: Sarcell sou- 

 crourou, GR: Blauf lugelente , IT: Marzaiola americana, PO: Kaczka raodroskrzydia , 

 PR: Pato, SP: Cerceta aliazul, Cerceta de alas azules; SW: Amerikansk arta] 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION 



The Blue-winged Teal is a breeding bird from southeastern Alaska and Brit- 

 ish Columbia across the Prairie Provinces of Canada to southern Ontario and Nova 

 Scotia. The range extends southward to California, the Great Basin, central 

 Texas and Louisiana, northern Missouri, Tennessee, and the central Atlantic Sea- 

 board (AOU 1957, Bellrose 1976). Occasional nesting takes place in the south- 

 eastern states. In winter the Blue-winged Teal occurs from southern California, 

 northern Mexico, coastal Texas and the Gulf coast to South Carolina, south 

 through Mexico and Central America to northern South America, occasionally as 

 far south as Argentina and Chile (AOU 1957, Bellrose 1976, Palmer 1976a). 



This teal is most common as a spring and fall migrant in the coastal south- 

 east, although moderate numbers winter there (Map 15) and a few remain to breed. 

 Some estimated wintering populations are 5,000 in South Carolina, 11,000 in 

 Florida, 190,000 in Louisiana, and 8,000-9,000 in coastal Texas (Bellrose 1976). 

 Preferred habitats are freshwater or brackish marshes and shallow inland ponds 

 (Palmer 1976a; Johnsgard 1975, 1978). 



SUSCEPTIBILITY TO OIL POLLUTION 



The Blue-winged Teal rated a score of only 1 of a possible 100 on King and 

 Sanger's (1979) Oil Vulnerability Index based on birds of the northeast Pacific, 

 where the species is uncommon. King (1953) reported this species as a victim 

 of oil sumps in inland localities. Although the species both nests and winters 

 in coastal marshes in the southeastern United States, only a very small propor- 

 tion of the population is involved. Many birds remain inland on fresh water, 

 and most winter well south of the area. Danger to this species by development 

 in the southeast would be slight. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



1980 



Ringelman, J. K. and L. D. Flake. 1980. Diurnal visibility and activity of 

 Blue-winged Teal and Mallard broods. J. Wildl. Manage. 44: 822-829. 



Stewart, G. R. and R. D. Titraan. 1980. Territorial behaviour by prairie pot- 

 hole Blue-winged Teal. Can. J. Zool . 58: 639-649. 



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