The Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) is a small, agile dabbling duck widespread across North America, with breeding males easily identified by a distinctive white crescent on the face set against a slate-gray head, mottled brown body, and pale blue-gray forewing patches that flash conspicuously in flight; females and non-breeding males are mottled brown overall, closely resembling other female teal but sharing the same pale blue wing patch. This species favors shallow wetlands, marshes, ponds, and prairie potholes, where it feeds by dabbling and tipping at the surface for seeds, aquatic vegetation, and small invertebrates rather than diving. Blue-winged Teal are among the earliest ducks to migrate south in fall and among the latest to return in spring, undertaking one of the longest migrations of any North American duck species, with many wintering as far south as Central America and northern South America. They are also fast, agile fliers, often traveling in tight, swift-turning flocks, and their nests are typically well-concealed on the ground in grassy areas near water.
