The Cinnamon Teal 



would shy stones or say "Shoo" to the birds, the wildest ducks would 

 soon be so reassured that they would eat out of our hands. 



No. 352 



Cinnamon Teal 



A. O. U. No. 141. Qiierquedula cyanoptera cyanoptera (Vieillot). 



Synonym. — Red-breasted Teal. 



Description. — Adult male: Entire plumage, except back and wings, rich 

 chestnut or bay; darker, blackish brown, on crown and on belly; darkest, almost black, 

 on crissum; back and inner scapulars warm dusky, margined with cinnamon or lighter; 

 inner and middle wing-coverts (the latter overlapping and nearly concealing the greater 

 coverts), and the outer webs of outer scapulars and tertials beautiful light grayish blue 

 (Columbian blue); speculum lustrous green, bounded on sides by dusky, and in front, 

 only in part, by white tips of greater coverts; axillars white; under wing-coverts white 

 and dusky. Bill black; feet and legs orange; iris orange. Adult female (and male in 

 post-nuptial plumage): Similar to corresponding plumage of Q. discors, but darker; 

 more of the throat and sometimes chin speckled; breast tinged with tawny; averaging 

 larger. Length 393.7-431.8 (15.50-17.00); wing 189.2 (7.45); tail 73.7 (2.90); bill 

 45.7 (1.80); tarsus 33.5 (1.32). 



Recognition Marks. — Large teal size; heavy chestnut coloration of male dis- 

 tinctive. Females and young require careful discrimination from Q. discors (see above). 



Nesting. — Nest: In grass or heavy weeds near water; of grass and scanty 

 trash, copiously lined with down. Down: Dusky with white centers. Eggs: 8 to 13, 

 usually 10 or 11; pale creamy or dull grayish yellow (ivory-yellow to cartridge-buff), 

 smooth "oily" surface. Av. size 47.5 x 34.5 (1.87 x 1.36). Season: April 20-June; 

 one brood. 



Range of Querqueditla cyanoptera. — North and South America. In North 

 America, from the western provinces of Canada south to Mexico. In South America, 

 from the Straits of Magellan and the Falkland Islands north to Peru and Brazil. 



Range of Q. c. cyanoptera. — Western North America. Breeds from southern 

 British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, southeastern Wyoming, and western 

 Kansas, south to western Texas, New Mexico, Chihuahua, and northern Lower Cali- 

 fornia. Winters from southern California, New Mexico, and southern Texas, south 

 through Lower California and to central Mexico. Casual at many eastern points. 



Distribution in California. — Abundant spring and fall migrant and common 

 summer resident on fresh water practically throughout the State. Sparingly resident 

 in winter at widely separated localities, chiefly in the central valley and in the San 

 Diegan district. Of infallible occurrence at Santa Barbara throughout the year. 



Authorities. — Gambel (Pterocyanea discors), Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., ser. 

 2, i., 1849, p. 226 (Calif.); //. C. Bryant, Condor, vol. xvi., 1914, pp. 222, 227, 231 

 (nest and eggs, etc.); Stephens, Condor, vol. xxiii., 1921, p. 194 (eclipse plumage). 



IF THE BIRD-LOVER confesses a somewhat languid interest in 

 the old standbys of duckdom, Mallard, Widgeon, Shoveller, and the rest, 

 the species which have quacked and spattered their way through literature 



1772 



