BLUE-WINGED TEAL 

 140. Querquedula discors. 15.5 in. 



Male. Head gray, with a white crescent in front of 

 the eye; underparts buffy, heavily spotted with black; 

 wing coverts blue; speculum green. Female similar to 

 the female Green-winged Teal, but with blue wing 'cov- 

 erts. Teal can easily be distinguished from other ducks 

 by their small size; the present species can usually be 

 separated from the last, by the darker underparts, the 

 longer neck and smaller head. Their flight is very 

 rapid; it probably appears to be more rapid than that 

 of other ducks because of the much smaller size of the 

 Teal. They usually fly in compact lines and when ready 

 to alight, do so very precipitously. 



Notes. A weak, but rapidly uttered quacking. 



Nest. Made of weeds, placed in tall grass bordering 

 marshes or ponds. 6 to 10 buffy eggs are laid during 

 May or June. (1.90x1.30). 



Range. Breeds from Maine, Ohio and Kansas north- 

 ward: winters in the lower half of eastern United 

 States. 



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