CINNAMON TEAL 123 



Where abiuulant this duck affords the same sport as does the 

 Green-wing and maizes just as difficult a mark. Like the latter bird 

 the Blue-wing readily decoys, and it is just as desirable as the Green- 

 wing for the table. 



It is not probable that the Blue-winged Teal will ever become 

 common in California. Certainly the records do not show that it 

 is becoming more abundant at the present time. An increase in the 

 number of records at some future time might result from an increase 

 in the number of people who are able to recognize the species, and 

 from a keener watch being kept for unusual occurrences among the 

 ducks killed in the state. 



Cinnamon Teal 

 Qucrquedida cyanoptera (Vieillot) 



Other names — Red-breasted Teal; Western Blue-winged Teal; Atmii cyanop- 

 tera ; Pteroci/anea coeruleata ; Pteroeyanea discors. 



Descriptiox — Adult male: Head rich chestnut, washed with black on crown 

 and chin; iris orange; bill black, margin of upper mandible and whole of 

 lower mandible tinged with pink; back brownish black with U-shaped bars 

 and feather-edgings of chestnut; rump and middle upper tail coverts dark 

 brown edged with lighter brown; lateral upper tail coverts and upper surface 

 of tail brownish black; forepart of outer surface of closed wing and outer 

 webs of scapulars, clear light blue; flight feathers slate brown; speculum 

 metallic green, separated from blue area by a white bar and bordered above 

 by brownish black; tertials striped with buff; axillars white; lining of wing 

 white and dull brown; whole under surface of body rich chestnut, washed 

 with blackish on belly; under tail coverts black; under surface of tail feathers 

 ashy; feet greenish orange, joints, webs and claws dusky. Total length 15.95- 

 16.20 inches (405-412 mm.) (three specimens); folded wing 7.25-8.00 (184- 

 203); bill along culmen 1.67-1.88 (42.4-47.7); tarsus 1.21-1.32 (30.7-33.5) 

 (ten specimens); weight 10.3-11.3 ounces (290-320 gm.) (three specimens). 

 Adult female: Top of head blackish brown, each feather narrowly edged with 

 brown; rest of head ashy cinnamon, finely streaked with dark brown; chin 

 sometimes unstreaked ; whole upper surface blackish brown, with buffy or 

 ashy feather edgings; iris hazel; outer surface of closed wing as in male, but 

 speculum dull black, showing only a trace of green, and white bar reduced or 

 absent; scapulars dark brown streaked and edged with paler brown; lining of 

 wing and axillars as in male; breast buffy, heavily mottled with blackish and 

 more or less suffused with light cinnamon brown; rest of under surface like 

 breast, but less heavily mottled and ground color paler sometimes almost white 

 on middle of belly ; feet dull green, webs and claws dusky. Total length 15.75 inches 

 (400 mm.) (one specimen); folded wing 6.90-7.45 (175-189); bill along culmen 

 1.63-1.85 (41.4-47.0); tarsus 1.21-1.26 (30.7-32.0) (ten specimens); weight 10.8 

 oz. (305.7 gm.) (one specimen); all from California. Juvenile plumage: Similar 

 to that of adult female, but under surface of body less suffused with cinnamon 

 brown, and markings narrower, giving more of a streaked appearance. Juvenile 

 males can be distinguished from females by the green speculum and white wing 

 bar being as in adult males. Females have speculum dull black with faintest 

 trace of green and white bar but brokenly indicated. Natal plumage: Top of 



