Blue-winged x Cinnamon Teal (hybrid)

Spatula discors x cyanoptera

Status: Rare regular spring visitor statewide

Spring: Apr 7, 9, 9 <<<>>> May 5, 9, 9

Earlier dates are 11 Mar 2016 Washington Co, 27 Mar 2009 Lincoln Co, 27 Mar 2012 Sarpy Co, 30 Mar 2022 Deuel Co, and 4 Apr 2013 Johnson Co.

Later dates are 1 Jun 2021 York Co, and 9-13 Jun 2022 Cochran Lake, Scotts Bluff Co.

Comments: There are at least 40 records of this hybrid in Nebraska (eBird.org), almost all in the Missouri and Platte and North Platte river valleys (eBird.org, accessed Jun 2024). All but one of the records are for March-May, the exception one in York Co 1 Jun 2021; this likely due to molting birds in late summer and fall being difficult to identify.

This hybrid is one of the commoner hybrid ducks in western North America (Mlodinow, in Bird Hybrids: Blue-winged Teal x Cinnamon Teal). Because the two species are closely related and s0 more likely to produce hybrids and the males are sufficiently distinct, detection of hybrid males is relatively easy (Bird Hybrids: Blue-winged Teal x Cinnamon Teal). Male Cinnamon Teal and hybrid males lack the flank and breast spots that are prominent in Blue-winged Teal (Gammonley 2020).

Images

Literature Cited

Gammonley, J. H. (2020). Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (A. F. Poole, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.cintea.01

Recommended Citation

Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2024. Blue-winged x Cinnamon Teal (hybrid) (Spatula discors x cyanoptera). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org

Updated 28 Jun 2024