Texas Waterfowl

Blue-winged Teal

63 BLUE-WINGEDTEAL Anas discors Judging from their behavior, one would guess Blue-winged Teal are not fans of cold weather. Adult males begin departing their breeding grounds in late July or early August and are the first ducks to arrive in Texas in large numbers. They are followed shortly thereafter by females and young of the year. Most Blue-winged Teal migrate through Texas and winter south of the continental United States. TEXAS DISTRIBUTION Breeding: Low numbers of Blue-winged Teal regularly nest in the Coastal Prairies and High Plains. Occasional nesting may occur in other areas of the state as well. In a four-year study conducted during the 1970s, brood abundance estimates in 12 High Plains counties ranged from 30 to 175 annually. They are the second most abundant breeding duck in the High Plains. In 1958, the year following Hurricane Beulah, more than 100 broods were counted on the King Ranch; when normal conditions returned the subsequent year, only two broods were counted. Migration: Blue-winged Teal likely migrate through all Texas counties. Fall abundance in the High Plains peaks in late August and declines steadily through October ; they are largely absent from this region by November. In the Rolling Plains, Post Oak Savannah–Blackland Prairies, and Pineywoods, fall migrants may be present as early as late July. Fall abundance in these regions peaks in September and then declines through November. Fall abundance peaks in the Coastal Prairies during September and drops precipitously by October. After fall migrants depart, abundance in the Coastal Prairies remains relatively flat until spring migrants arrive in March. Spring migrants start arriving in the Rolling Plains, Post Oak Savannah–Blackland Prairies, and Pineywoods in February or March and peak in April. Spring migrants arrive in the High Plains during April. Interestingly, spring abundance in the High Plains pales in comparison to fall abundance; the difference is approximately thirtyfold. Winter: From 2000 to 2008, Blue-winged Teal averaged 96,587 during the Texas Mid-winter Waterfowl Survey. This was likely less than 2 percent of their total population (continental population) in most years. Blue-winged Teal wintering in Texas are primarily found in the Coastal Prairies, South Texas Brush Country, and Coastal Sand Plain (TPWD unpublished). dabbling ducks 64 TEXAS HARVEST Harvest estimates for Blue-winged Teal and Cinnamon Teal are combined nationwide . In Texas, however, it is probably safe to assume the vast majority of the harvest is Blue-winged Teal. From 1999 to 2006, harvest in Texas averaged 173,095 annually, which was about 18 percent of their annual US harvest. LONGEVITY The life span of adult males and females averages 1.9 and 1.5 years, respectively. The longevity record for a wild Blue-winged Teal is 23 years, three months. POPULATION STATUS In 2011 the estimated abundance of Blue-winged Teal was 8.9 million, which was the highest recorded estimate since the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey was initiated in 1955. They are the second most abundant duck in North America.They have been above the North American Waterfowl Management Plan’s population goal of 5.3 million since 2006. DIET Invertebrates, seeds, and vegetative matter are consumed in varying amounts during Blue-winged Teal (male and female). Photograph by Raymond S. Matlack, December 27, 2005, near Port Aransas, Nueces County, Texas. 65 all seasons. Invertebrates accounted for 85–97 percent of the diet of breeding Bluewinged Teal. In contrast, 73 percent of the diet of fall migrants in the High Plains was barnyard grass (millet) seed. Migrants in the High Plains also consumed waste grain when it was made available by flooding, and they occasionally participated in field feeding. Wintering Blue-winged Teal in the Coastal Prairies readily used rice fields, and cultivated rice accounted for 92 percent of their diet in Costa Rica. RANGE AND HABITATS Breeding: Blue-winged Teal breed in low densities throughout much of the United States and Canada. They are one of the most abundant breeding ducks in the Prairie Pothole Region. Their nests are almost always found within 165 yards of wetlands. They nest on the ground, typically in short herbaceous cover. Nest density peaks in areas with abundant shallow wetlands. When wetland densities are equivalent, their abundance is four times greater in grassland settings compared to cropland settings. Breeding pairs associate strongly with ephemeral, seasonal, and semipermanent wetlands . Their affinity for ephemeral water likely explains why...