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Blue Winged Teal (Anas discors)

One of my earlier wildlife paintings, “Morning Reflections” was one of my favorites to paint, it combines one of my favorite waterfowl, the Blue Winged Teal with the quiet soft shades of an early morning setting… The male of the species, like the one I’ve depicted, are very distinctive, they have a bold white vertical half-moon in front of each eye as well as a forewing panel that is a much deeper blue than in any European duck. The big white spot near the rear of the flanks is another striking feature. Females which are larger than the male’s, are somewhat more drab, with the most striking feature being a pale spot near the base of the bill. Blue-Winged Teals are shy dabbing ducks. They can be found on ponds, marshes and bays. They tend to forage on aquatic grasses in shallow water less than 8″ deep. You might see them with other surface feeding ducks but they do not tip up when feeding; they just stretch out their necks to feed just below the surface of the water. Along with aquatic plants and seeds, they eat invertebrates. Blue-winged Teals fly rapidly in small tight flocks, often can be seen turning in unison. The male Blue-Winged Teals has a peeping voice, while the female has a soft quack.