Birds
Cinnamon Teal
Spatula cyanoptera · also called cinnamon teals
In the shallow, reed-lined water of a western marsh, a male cinnamon teal glows with some of the deepest reddish-brown plumage of any North American duck, a striking contrast to the plainer, well-camouflaged females feeding quietly nearby.
Overview
The cinnamon teal, Spatula cyanoptera, is a small dabbling duck native to shallow marsh and wetland habitat across western North America, wintering farther south into Mexico and Central America. Its intensely saturated reddish-brown male plumage, unusual disjunct breeding range spanning both North and South America, and preference for densely vegetated shallow wetlands make it one of the more visually striking and geographically distinctive ducks in the Americas.
A colour that seems to glow
Few North American ducks match the sheer intensity of a breeding male cinnamon teal’s reddish-brown plumage, a saturation of colour that can genuinely appear to glow under the right light.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable shallow marsh and wetland habitat throughout western North America.
Cinnamon Teal: common questions
How can you identify a male cinnamon teal?
Look for deep, richly saturated reddish-brown plumage across the head and body, a colour so intense it can appear almost glowing in strong sunlight, one of the most vividly coloured plumages found on any North American duck and quite distinct from the more muted browns typical of many female and non-breeding ducks.
Why does the cinnamon teal have such an unusual range?
This species breeds across parts of western North America and separately across large areas of South America, with a significant gap between the two regions rather than one continuous range, an unusual distribution pattern compared with most North American duck species, which typically occupy a single connected breeding range.
What kind of wetland does the cinnamon teal prefer?
This species favours shallow, well-vegetated wetlands and marshes, generally avoiding the larger, more open bodies of water preferred by some other duck species, a habitat preference that keeps it closely tied to dense marsh vegetation rather than open water.
How does the cinnamon teal feed?
This species has a bill adapted for filtering small food items from shallow water, sifting through mud and vegetation to extract seeds, aquatic plants, and tiny invertebrates, a filter-feeding strategy shared broadly with other dabbling duck species.