BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 



95 



BLUE-WINGED TEAL {Querquedula discors). 

 Common or local names: Blue-wing; Summer Teal. 



Male. 



Female. 



Length. — 15 to 16 inches. 



Adult Male. — Head dusky, leaden gray; chin, forehead and crown blackish; 

 a large white black-edged crescent in front of eye; back dark brown, 

 upper part marked with buff; fore wing when closed shows a light blue 

 patch, edged with white, which separates it from a greenish patch or 

 speculum; a narrow white posterior edge to speculum; lower parts buffy, 

 reddish buff, cinnamon or purplish gray, spotted with black, except 

 lower flanks, which are sometimes barred in curved lines; tail coverts 

 black, and a white patch on either side of tail; bill bluish gray, black 

 on ridge; legs and feet yellow, with dusky webs and claws; iris yellow. 



Adult Female. — Top of head blackish; throat whitish; rest of head and 

 neck pale brownish or brownish white streaked with dusky; no white 

 crescent; back and wings dusky, with V-shaped buff edgings on back; 

 breast pinkish buff, marked with black; flanks with dusky V-shaped 

 marks; belly whitish gray, with obscure markings; wing much as in 

 male, but with less blue and little white; bill greenish black. 



Young. — Like female, but with white belly and gray speculum. 



Field Marks. — In spring or fall the broad white crescent in front of the 

 eye distinguishes the adult male. The blue wing area is conspicuous 

 in flight in both sexes, but is not so readily seen on the water. Female 

 and young may be distinguished from those of the Shoveller, which 

 also has a blue fore wing, by the comparatively narrow bill. 



Notes. — The Drake, a whistling peep, repeated five or six times (Eaton) ; 

 the Duck, a low cjuack. 



Nest. — On ground in meadow or marsh, of fine soft grasses lined with down. 



Eggs. — Six to fifteen, usually buffy white, about 1.75 to 1.90 by 1.30 to 1.40. 



Season. — Late August and September mainly, rare in spring (April); 

 August 16 to November '25 (C. W. Townsend). 



