Cinnamon Teal
Spatula cyanoptera
Content and photos by James Giroux
One of the many great joys of birding is watching the seasons change, and welcoming the incoming migratory species. In Central Texas our two main groups of fall and winter arrivals are sparrows and ducks. About twenty species of ducks head south in late fall and take up residence in our area. Among the crowd favorites is the Cinnamon Teal – appropriately named for its overall cinnamon color. But like most ducks, only the male sports the fancy colors. The female Cinnamon Teal can be difficult to identify if she is not paired-up with a male. She looks like many of the other female ducks – with mottled brown, tan and gray tones.
Female & Male
Both males and females have a sky blue speculum, but it is often hidden when they are at rest. The speculum is a patch of secondary feathers that is often distinctly colored in ducks. The Blue-winged Teal and Green-winged Teal are named for the color of their speculum. The male Cinnamon Teal has an unusual red eye. There are only two other North American ducks that also have a red eye – the Wood Duck and the Canvasback.
Cinnamon Teals are dabbling ducks, meaning that they feed mainly at the water surface and by upending themselves to feed a few inches below the surface. Diving ducks, as the name implies, dive completely below the surface to feed. Examples of diving ducks include Bufflehead, Redhead and Canvasback.
The Cinnamon Teal is unusual in that there are two distinct populations that do not intermix – one in North America and one in South America.
The best places to find Cinnamon Teal in the Austin area are Hornsby Bend and Southeast Greenway, but you will need patience and persistence. This duck is among the least common of all the ducks in our area.
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