Cinnamon Teal
Anas cyanoptera
DescriptionI think the color of this duck makes it one of the prettiest around. These birds search for food by "dabbling" their bills in the water. They feed on plant matter, seeds, aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic insects. They breed in small, shallow, alkaline marshes.
General: 11 inches in length.
Male: Body is an overall a bright cinnamon-red color. Dark brown back. Black undertail coverts. Large spatulated black bill. Red eyes. Light blue upper secondary coverts.
Female: Mottled brown body with darker back. Light colored head with dark eye stripe and crown. Brown eyes. Large spatulated gray bill.
Alkaline and brackish coastal marshes, open wetlands.
Nesting9-12 pale buff or whitish eggs with an incubation period of around 23 days. Fledging occurs 49 days after hatching. The nest is made from grass, lined with down, and usually hidden among vegetation.
View Gallery