CINNAMON TEAL 211 



with buff; under surface, ashy; upper coverts, like rump; under coverts, brownish 

 black. Wings. Lesser and middle coverts, cobalt blue; greater coverts, outer ones, 

 white, inner ones, slaty blue, tipped with white; primaries, dark brown, paler on 

 inner webs; secondaries, with metallic-green speculum, bordered in front with white, 

 narrowly edged behind with white and bordered with blackish on inner and outer 

 borders; tertiah, blackish brown, striped with buffy; lining, white and brownish; 

 a\illars, white. 



ECLIPSE PLUMAGE: The moult into eclipse starts in June and is at its height in 

 August. This plumage is generally similar to that of the female, but head and neck 

 are richer cinnamon buff, as are also edgings to body feathers; the wings are as 

 in the winter plumage. 



AUTUMN PLUMAGE: In September the adult male commences to moult out of the 

 female-like eclipse plumage into full winter dress. The wing is as in winter plumage. 

 The new cinnamon-red feathers appear first on the chest and their presence will 

 identify the male bird in the early stages of the moult. The moult continues in 

 progressive stages until the full winter plumage is regained in October or November. 



ADULT FEMALE. Identical with female Blue-winged Teal, except for certain 

 bill characters described under "Specimen Identification" below. 



JUVENILE. In first autumn sexes are alike and resemble the adult female, 

 except under surface of body is less suffused with cinnamon and is more streaked. 

 During winter the young male gradually assumes adult plumage and by spring is 

 practically adult, except that the breast is still dull brown and the colours generally 

 are less brilliant. Fully adult plumage in second autumn. Wing of Male. As in adult 

 male but speculum is duller. Wing of Female. As in female Blue-winged Teal. 



SPECIMEN IDENTIFICATION 



MALE. WINTER PLUMAGE: General effect: A very small, cinnamon-red duck, 

 with a bright-blue wing-patch. Chief distinguishing features (a) hind toe without 

 lobe, (b) dark cinnamon-red plumage, (c) cobalt-blue wing-coverts. 



Difficult to mistake male for any other species. 



AUTUMN AND JUVENILE PLUMAGE: See "Descriptions." 



FEMALE. General effect: A very small, mottled, buffy-brown duck, with whitish 

 breast. Chief features (a) hind-toe without lobe, (b) very small size, (c) cobalt- 

 blue wing-coverts. 



The blue wing-patch separates it from the other female teals except the female 



Blue-winged Teal, from which this duck is 

 difficult to distinguish; bill is longer than that 

 of the Blue-w r ing and more constricted at base 

 (fig. 42). The Cinnamon Teal often has more 

 reddish underparts, but as this may be due t< 

 the rusty stain imparted by some waters to the white breasts of many ducks, it 

 cannot be relied upon as a certain means of distinction. 



FIELD MARKS 



ON THE WATER. The small size and general redness of head, neck and body 



