Green-winged teal at Munson Pond

Male green-winged teal enjoying the sun at Munson Pond in Kelowna.

I have seen green-winged teals on the Pacific coast, but this was the first one I have seen in the interior of BC.  I had a hard time getting a proper photo of it, as I was behind vegetation and not having a lot of success finding a hole where it wasn't blurring the shot.  The advantage was that I could get closer to the ducks without spooking them.

Green-winged teals breed farther north, although Kelowna is within their southern breeding range.  Range maps indicate that they are year-round residents here, although this is the first one I have seen since living here for 5 years now.

Teals are dabbling ducks, so they feed in shallow areas, consuming aquatic vegetation and invertebrates.  Unlike other dabblers, green-winged teals may shallow dive on occasion.  They do not form bonded pairs over their lifetime as do Canadian geese.  Instead, males and females dissolve their familial interactions after rearing and form new bonds in the winter season, often far away from their breeding area.

I used to confuse them with American wigeon ducks; you can see my blog on them here.  Once I got over the green eye stripe, distinguishing them was easy.  It was exciting to see the teal in Kelowna.  It's the first one I have seen in years.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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