Blue-winged teal and their western cousins, the cinnamon teal, are the first North American waterfowl to begin their autumn migration. By late summer, these small, attractive ducks begin to gather in flocks and soon congregate along their primary flyways.
While blue-winged teal are common throughout most of the U.S. and southern Canada, cinnamon teal are primarily found west of the High Plains; where their range overlaps, these two species have been known to interbreed. Teal favor shallow wetlands and are best found in backwater areas, marshes or flooded fields. Most abundant in the Heartland from late September through mid October, blue-winged teal winter along the Gulf Coast, from Florida to Mexico; most of the cinnamon teal winter in California.
Unlike their fair-weather cousins, green-winged teal breed in Canada and winter on open lakes and rivers throughout the U.S.
