66 BIRDS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



Genus Querquedula (Steph.) 

 48. Querquedula discors (Linn.}. BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 



Ad. d*. Crown fuscous, chin and sides of base of bill black; a broad white band across 

 front of head, its hinder margin boidered by black; rest of head and throat dark ashy with 

 purplish reflections; breast and belly cinnamon-rufous, thickly spotted with black; back fus- 

 cous., the feathers with crescents of ochraceous-buff ; lesser and median wing-coverts grayish blue, 

 end half of greater ones white; speculum green. Ad. 9 Crown fuscous, lightly margined 

 with grayish; sides of the head and the neck whitish, finely spotted with blackish, except on the 

 throat; breast and belly with less cinnamon wash than in the preceding; back and wings quite 

 similar to the preceding, but ochraceous bars sometimes wanting, speculum darker and greater 

 coverts with less white. L., 16.00; W., 7.25; Tar., 1.20; B., 1.60. (Chap., Birds of E. N. A.} 



Range. Breeds from the northern half of the United States northward; winters from North 

 Carolina to middle South America. 



Range in North Carolina. Whole State in winter, but most common during the migrations. 



FIG. 40. BLUE-WINGED TEAL (adult male). 



Observers usually agree that this species precedes by a few days the Green-winged 

 Teal in the autumn migration. C. S. Brimley records them at Raleigh as early 

 as October 19, and in spring as late as May 6. Cairns saw them at Weaverville 

 April 16 and 23, 1892. Bishop speaks of their being at Pea Island April 27 and 

 again May 1, 1905. Beautiful in plumage, delicious when rightly cooked, and 

 usually abundant in its chosen localities, the Blue- winged Teal is justly popular 

 with sportsmen. The birds are hunted in the rice fields and marshes from boats 

 which are poled slowly by an assistant. The shooting occurs when the birds take 

 wing. They are also much shot at "passes" or points over which they fly when 

 going in the morning or evening to their feeding places. Many are secured from 

 blinds, for these birds come well to decoys. So unsuspicious are they that at times 

 one may easily advance in the open to a point within shooting distance. 



Genus Spatula (Boie) 

 49. Spatula clypeata (Linn.). SHOVELLER. 



Description. Male with head and neck green, breast white, belly chestnut, wing-coverts 

 blue. Female much duller, streaky brownish, known by the spoon-shaped bill, and the blue 

 on the wing-coverts. L., 17.00-21.00; W., 9.00-10.00. 



Range. Northern Hemisphere, breeding in America from the northern United States north- 

 ward, wintering from Maryland to northern South America. 



Range in North Carolina. Coastal region in winter. 



