Talkin’ About Teals

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Braden is off this week so I’m filling in. Just kidding. Birders are never off. Don’t you know that by now? I did want to use this week, however, to talk about an especially cool group of ducks that we observed during our recent Big Weekend. You got it: teals.

Always a favorite of hunters, Blue-winged Teal have a more subtle beauty than other species.

We left Missoula about noon on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend and I have to admit, the only ducks on our minds were the fabled Harlequin Ducks, which we hoped to glimpse in Glacier National Park—and add to our Year Lists. We did get two spectacular experiences with Harlequins—a breeding pair at Josephine Lake in the Many Glacier area and a lone male on MacDonald Creek the next day. I have to say, though, that the teals matched the Harlequins for beauty, and overpowered them with raw abundance.

Cinnamon Teals are not only one of the most beautiful ducks, they are one of the most rare. According to Ducks Unlimited, estimates of breeding population are between 100,000 and 300,000.

We saw all four species of common teals on our trip: Green-winged, Blue-winged, Cinnamon, and Northern Shoveler—which I didn’t realize was a teal until Braden informed me of the fact. To make matters even more confusing, the last three species are in the genus Spatula while the Green-winged Teal is in the genus Anas with a bunch of other dabbling ducks. Go figure. But full disclosure: I am not a taxonomist, so let’s not get too hung up on that now.

Several things impressed us about these four species—especially the three birds in Spatula—a name that undoubtedly has something to do with the Northern Shovelers impressively wide honker. The first thing, of course, is that these species of ducks are exceptionally beautiful. Stunning, in fact. Just look at the photos of the males. I mean, “Whoa Dude, where’d you get those threads?”

I first fell in love with Northern Shovelers during our 2016 Big Year and grow more impressed with them at every encounter.

Another thing about these ducks is that they all seem to adopt similar lifestyles. We kept finding them together in many of the same places: Browns Lake, Benton National Wildlife Refuge, and even the prairie potholes along the highway. Not surprising since they are all dabbling ducks and prefer to nest in or near shallow bodies of water.

The real kicker for us, though, happened at our very first stop, Browns Lake. Braden was looking at a group of ducks on a small pond and he said, “Doesn’t something look a little odd about that duck?” I studied it and agreed. “I think it’s a Cinnamon—Shoveler Hybrid,” he offered. “What? Really?” I’d heard of hybrids but figured they were exceptionally rare. Then again, this duck didn’t look like anything else we’d seen. I suggested that it looked more like a Blue-winged—Shoveler hybrid because of the white crescent behind the bill. “Other teals also can show that in their juvenile phases,” Braden pointed out. Smart-alec kid.

Shoveler—Blue-winged hybrid? Shoveler—Cinnamon? Send us your thoughts with a comment!

One thing was for certain. This bird had not followed the rule books for sticking to one particular species. Interestingly, another teal hybrid was IDed in a different Montana location by another birder the same week. The lesson? If you keep going out there to look, the birds will keep surprising you.

4 thoughts on “Talkin’ About Teals

  1. George P Scherman

    Have you two been to Malheur? I think you would have a memorable adventure there. I saw more cinnamons there in two days than I had ever seen before. Combine that with ibises, burrowing owls, and everything else and it is a no lose proposition. Great campground too.

    Reply
    1. admin Post author

      No, George, but it’s definitely on our dream list. In fact, I’ve read a lot about teals with connection to Malheur, and just finished reading about how Teddy Roosevelt created the refuge. Did you go recently?

      Reply
  2. Roger Kohn

    Interesting post, Sneed. I can’t cope with the thought of hybrids right now. Just normal species ID is enough of a challenge. Those ducks sure are swingers, lol.

    I’m sensing a future rendezvous at Malheur, with the MT dudes coming from Missoula and me from Bend. It doesn’t hurt that Malheur is also the name of a brewery in Belgium that makes an amaaaazing champagne beer! That certainly would add a dash of je ne sais quoi to any Malheur birding outing.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malheur_Brewery

    Reply
    1. Rich Moser

      I’d really like to see a Blue-blooded Champagne Guzzler myself, Roger. Especially if she was single. But about that possible hybrid: did you see any way to recharge it? I mean that would be the acid test.

      Reply

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