BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 33 



The resident teal of Jamaica probably should be separated subspe- 

 citically as Qnerquedula discors inornata (Gosse), but the eastern and 

 western boundaries of this form remain to be determined. 



Winter range. — Blue-winged teal migrate over a vast extent of terri- 

 tory, and are found in winter throughout northern South America 

 south to Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. They occur abundantly in 

 Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies, and are equall}^ com- 

 mon during the winter in the Gulf States and north to North Carolina. 

 In the ^lississippi Valley few remain much north of the Gulf, though 

 these few are scattered widely as far as southern Indiana and southern 

 Illinois; a few winter in Arizona, and the small number of Pacific 

 coast birds spend the winter in California and north to southern 

 British Columbia. 



North of North Carolina this teal can hardly be called a common 

 winter species, though it is not rare on Chesapeake Bay and win- 

 ters even as far north as Delaware. This species is one of the least 

 hardy of our ducks, and few individuals remain where there is cold 

 and ice. 



Sjjring migration. — The blue-winged teal is among the latest ducks 

 to migrate. The first was noted at Erie, Pa., March 27, 1S98; Tem- 

 pleton, Mass., April 1, 1898; Prince Edward Island, April 20, 1888. 

 In central Iowa, where the hardy ducks appear in Februar}^, the blue- 

 winged teal was noted on the average (ten years) March 26 (earliest, 

 March 18, 1899); northern Iowa, April 4, and Heron Lake, Minn., 

 April 9. The records of Heron Lake are quite uniform — April 11, 

 1885; April 11, 1886; April 10, 1887; April 8, 1888; April 9, 1889; 

 April 7, 1890. These dates indicate less variation in the time of arrival 

 of this species than of any other. The blue-winged teal appears in 

 southeastern Nebraska, March 28; central South Dakota, April 2; 

 central North Dakota, April 12; northwestern Minnesota, April 23; 

 Aweme, Manitoba, April 27. 



In southern Texas this teal becomes common in spring about the 

 middle of March; about the first week in April is the height of the 

 shooting season in southern Louisiana. The latest migrants have 

 been noted at Gainesville, Fla., April 29, 1887; Baltimore, Md., 

 May 7, 1890; New Orleans, La., May 21, 1898; San Antonio, Tex., 

 May 14, 1902. Eggs have been taken at Canton, 111., May 16, 1897. 

 Eggs just hatching were found on the Magdalen Islands, Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence, June 16, 1900, and fresh eggs at Waseca, Minn., June 1; 

 in North Dakota, June 12; and at Reaburn, Manitoba, June 4, 1894. 



Fall migration. — The blue-winged teal is one of the earliest ducks 

 to move southward; during the month of August it reappears through- 

 out the northern half of the United States and some especially early 

 l)irds almost reach the Gulf of Mexico. During a period of fourteen 

 years the average date of arrival at Alexandria, Va., was August 31 



