CINNAMON TEAL 
391 
Adult Female : Almost exactly similar in plumage to the female of the Blue-winged Teal, but larger, 
especially in the bill measurement. Weight 12 to 14 ounces (0.34 to 0.39 kilograms). 
A very old female from Chile (Museum of Comparative Zoology specimen) has some light-colored 
barring on the feathers of the mantle, a few large crescentic markings on the lower side, and a sugges- 
tion of chestnut color on the breast; in other words it is beginning to assume male plumage. 
Iris hazel. Bill black. Legs and feet dull green. 
Wing 175-189 mm.; bill 41.4-47; tarsus 30.7-32. 
Summer Plumage: This Teal has an eclipse plumage through the northern part of its range. I have 
seen a specimen from Lake Junin, Peru, in Lord Percy’s collection which also appeared to be in full 
eclipse although it looked more ruddy than North American specimens in full summer plumage. 
I am not at all sure that this Teal goes into full eclipse over the southern half of its range. Observa- 
tions in zoological gardens of other species of ducks from the Southern Hemisphere which were 
known not to have a true eclipse, seemed to show that after a few years in a northern climate some 
of them started to copy northern ducks by acquiring at least a partial eclipse ! Thus it is not impos- 
sible that the male Cinnamon Teal may omit the female type of plumage in the Argentine country. 
Observations of eaptive specimens in Buenos Aires would be well worth while. 
The eclipse of this Teal has seldom been mentioned. California specimens in late July may look 
almost exactly like the female except for the wings which remain nearly the same as in the wdnter 
plumage. Specimens showing this phase are very hard to find, but of course this is the case with 
nearly every species of common northern duck. 
Immature Female; Differs from adult female by having more uniform-looking and paler mantle, 
lacking the broad light-colored edges to the feathers; lower snrface less spotted and more finely 
streaked in appearance. The whole bird is decidedly lighter in tone than the female in breeding 
plumage. 
Immature Male (September) : Differs from young female only by having a brilliant green speculum 
in place of a dull speculum. Some light-colored barring on the feathers of the mantle is present in 
certain specimens, and the tertials and scapulars are dusky and edged with cinnamon brown. Prog- 
ress toward maturity differs very much in individuals, but by early spring the young male closely 
resembles the adult except that as Mr. Bent has pointed out to me, the belly still remains more or 
less dull brown while the colors are everywhere less brilliant. 
Young in Down: Appears to be the same as Anas discors and very similar to the young of the 
Mallard. “Top of head dark-olive; sides of head, chin and throat, yelloMTsh buff; stripe from base of 
bill near nostril to eye and two streaks back of eye, dark brown; upper surface of body dark olive; 
spot on each side of back and one on each side at base of tail, yellow; whole under surface yellowish 
buff ” (Grinnell, Bryant and Storer, 1918). 
DISTRIBUTION 
The Cinnamon Teal has a unique distribution. It is indigenous to both North and South America, 
while an unoccupied gap is supposed to separate the northern and southern groups. It seems to me, 
however, that the range must be continuous. In North America it is practically confined to the 
region west of the Rocky Moimtains. It breeds regularly as far north as southern British 
British Columbia (to Lac la Hache) (Kermode, 1904; Cooke, 1906; A. Brooks, 1917), 
and in Washington is a common summer resident east of the Cascades (W. L. Dawson 
and Bowles, 1909). It is an equally common breeder in Oregon (Bendire, 1877; J. C. 
Merrill, 1888; Woodcock, 1902) and in California (Grinnell, Bryant and Storer, 1918). 
Columbia 
Washing- 
ton 
Oregon 
