BLUE-WINGED TEAL 
ANAS DISCORS Linne 
(Plate 43) 
Synonymy 
Anas discors Linne, Systema Naturae, ed. 12, vol. 1, p. 205, 1766. 
Querquedida discors Stephens, General Zool., vol. 12, pt. 2, p. 149, 1824. 
Boschas discors Swainson, Classification of Birds, vol. 2, p. 367, 1837. 
Cyanopterus discors Eyton, Monograph Anatidae, p. 131, 1838. 
Pterocyanea discors G. R. Gray, Genera of Birds, vol. 3, p. 617, 1845. 
Cyanopterus inornatus Gosse, Birds of Jamaica, p. 402, 1847. 
Pterocyanea inornata G. R. Gray, Genera of Birds, x\ppendix, p. 28, 1849. 
Querquedula inornata March, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1864, p. 71. 
Querquedida discors albinucha Kennard, Auk, vol. 36, p. 459, 1919. 
Vernacular Names 
English: Blue-winged Teal, Blue-wing, White-faced Teal, Summer Teal, Mexican 
Duck. 
German: Blaufliigelige Krickente, Blaufliigelige Streitente. 
French: Sarcelle a ailes bleues, Sarcelle soucrourou, Sarcelle soucrourette, Sarcelle 
de Cayenne, Sarcelle de Mexique, Sarcelle autonniere (Louisiana), Sarcelle 
printanniere (Louisiana), Cercelle. 
Dutch: Blauwvleugeltaling. 
Spanish: Zarceta de invierno, Zarceta de stono, Pato de la Florida, Patillo. 
Mexican: Toltecoltl, Metzcanauhtli. 
Guatemala: Azulejo. 
DESCRIPTION 
Adult Male; Top of head, a strip along the base of culmen and chin, black. A conspicuous white 
crescentic mark extends from over the eye to the side of the throat, bordered behind by a blackish 
band. Remainder of head and upper neck dull lead color, glossed with vinaceous along sides of 
occiput. Mantle and scapulars dusky marked with irregular buff-colored sub-terminal bands. Back, 
rump, upper tail-coverts and tail nearly uniform brownish black. Upper breast ruddy buff thickly 
marked with rounded spots, smaller anteriorly. Remainder of lower parts rusty buff-color, more or 
less spotted, except the under tail-coverts which are black. Flanks broadly barred with dark brown 
and on each side of rump a prominent white area. Lesser wing-coverts and outer webs of outer 
scapulars pale sky-blue; greater coverts broadly tipped with white forming a white anterior wing-bar. 
Speculum metallic green, the tips and inner webs of secondaries dark brown. Primaries dark brown. 
