Bird of the month: Cinnamon teal

Did you know that the cinnamon teal is not only a small, rust colored dabbling duck but also a protagonist in the Disney movie series, “DuckTales”?

Disney’s cinnamon teal has white feathers, a black pixie haircut, and a mole on her cheek, looking more like Daisy Duck than a teal.  

The real cinnamon teal, anas cyanoptera, is distinguished by dark reddish-brown feathers with a pale blue shoulder patch. Females are mottled brown, also with a pale blue shoulder patch although faint. Females and males in fall plumage are difficult to distinguish from blue-winged teal. Not only are they often confused in the field or even in hand, but many bandings are thought to be incorrect, especially among birds wintering in South America. Female cinnamon teal even quack like male blue-winged. The two species have been known to inter-breed. Internet searches provide side by side comparisons.