
GREEN-WINGED TEAL (continued) 
(b) Tertials buffy edged, tips unfrayed, usually edged 
over tips; tertial coverts broadly rounded, usually 
widely edged, occasionally narrow to unedged; 
primary coverts unedged to faintly edged; middle 
coverts broadly rounded, often well edged with 
buff but frequently unedged ---~----------------- Adult Female 
BLUE=WINGED TEAL 
Sex Determination 
The sex of blue-winged teal can be readily determined from the 
appearance of the speculum and from the amount of white in the greater 
secondary coverts. The speculum of males is a bright iridescent green, 
while that of females is a dull non-iridescent green. The greater 
coverts of males appear entirely white at their extremities, while 
those of females are heavily spotted with dark or often appear more 
dark colored than light colored. Rarely a female shows a trace of 
iridescence in the speculum and rarely a male shows some spots in the 
greater coverts, but these oddities are still easy to place in their 
proper sex groups. 
Age Determination of Males 
The tertials of the juvenile plumage of males are conspicuously 
edged with tan and are a dull color, often faded brownish with much 
frayed tips. Adult tertials are greenish-black, are not much frayed, 
and are very long and acutely pointed. First winter tertials of 
immature birds are similar to those of adults but are usually still 
growing in December. 
The tertial coverts of the juvenile male plumage are narrow and 
appear pointed, are often edged with light brown, and are often frayed. 
Tertial coverts of adult males and of first-year plumage of immatures 
are similar and are not conspicuously narrowed or pointed and do not 
show fading or fraying at the tips. These normally show edging on the 
outer web only that is concealed when feathers are lying in their normal 
unruffled position. 
The greater coverts of immatures often show a pattern of dark spots 
at the tips of the white greater coverts different from that of adults 
(see following Key). 
14 
