Cinnamon Teal

Cinnamon Teal Picture

Cinnamon Teal

A Cinnamon Teal is a fun bird to see while bird watching. Below are some tips to help you identify Cinnamon Teals. We have also put together a list of fun Cinnamon Teal t-shirts, Cinnamon Teal bird patches, birdhouses, bird feeders, binoculars, stickers, and other fun bird watching items.

About Cinnamon Teals

The Cinnamon Teal is a small brightly colored duck typically found in ponds in Western regions of America.  Outside of its physical attributes, it is distinguished as the only duck that has separate breeding populations. Their breeding pools are found in North and South America.

Description and Identification

As their name suggests Cinnamon Teals have cinnamon-colored rusty red-brown plumage.
Although, this cinnamon coloring is only seen in adult males. Males and females are sexually
dimorphic, with breeding males sporting cinnamon-colored plumage on the heads and majority
of their body, matched with red eyes and contrasting their black bills. Their backs are darker
colored with brown-black plumage contrasted typically with pale yellow stripes. Juveniles and
adult females are similar in appearance, sporting mostly brown plumage marked with pale
coloring on the edges of their feathers. Like breeding males, they possess black bills. Adult
Cinnamon Teals grow to be an average of 16 inches in length and weigh approximately 14oz.

Cinnamon Teal Color Pattern

The female Cinnamon Teal’s head and neck are adorned with a light brown plumage, her bill is gray and she has brown eyes. Her brown underbelly, breasts, and sides have unique white V-shaped spot streaks. Another distinguishing feature is a light blue shoulder patch on her upper wings with a white band of feathers under the patch and a strip of green feathers under the patch and a strip of green feathers at the edge of the wing.

The male Cinnamon Teal has a bright cinnamon-colored head neck, stomach, and sides. He has a black bill, yellow legs and feet, and red eyes. His wings are similar in markings except for the shoulder patch which is dark blue.

Cinnamon Teal Size and Shape

The relative size of both sexes is:

  • Length: 14.2-16.9 in (36-43 cm)
  • Weight: 9.9-17.6 oz (280-500 g)

Cinnamon Teal Behavior

  • This dabbling bird mainly feeds on the surface by dipping just the bill into the water or by tipping up their rear end with their entire head underwater.
  • Cinnamon Teal pair move around and join small flocks of other pairs
  • These birds are the fast flyers due to the fact that they can directly take off from water surfaces.

Cinnamon Teal Food

As a species of water birds, Cinnamon Teal’s diets include a variety of underwater vegetation,
as well as plants and seeds found on the edges or in close proximity to their aquatic habitats.
Some of the staples include shoots and seeds of spike rush, pondweed, aquatic plants and
vegetation, zooplankton, millet, smartweed, etc. Although the majority of their consists of vegetarian
material, they are also known to feed on aquatic insects, beetles, snails, various types of files
such as dragonflies. Like other dabbling ducks, Cinnamon Teals, ingest their food through the rapid
opening and closing movements of their beaks. Although they typically forage individually or in pairs, it is not uncommon for other members to follow and feed at the same time. They prefer to
forage in shallow waters but will also forage on land around their habitats if need be.

Their diet consists of seeds, small insects, and floating plants. On occasion, they will dive in and eat aquatic invertebrates.

Cinnamon Teal Habitat

Cinnamon Teals habitats of preference are typically shallow freshwaters or wetlands. They favor
large and permanent marshes, alkaline and freshwater lakes. Populations can also be found in
other freshwater bodies such as reservoirs, streams, ponds, etc. During the winter months, their
habitats can include, sedges, tufted hair grass, wheatgrass, Baltic rush, spike rush, salt grass,
etc. These provide not only shelter but food as well during the winters. Cinnamon Teals in
Mexico also inhabit wet agricultural fields, mangrove swamps, and akin to their northern
counterparts, reservoirs.

The Cinnamon Teal inhabits marshes, lakes, shallow ponds, and streams with low-growing reeds and other plants at the edges.

Range and Migration

Cinnamon Teals are a species of ducks native to North and South America. In both continents,
their populations are concentrated but not limited to the western sections. In North America,
they are found in large populations in the western United States along with some populations in
south-western Canada and the majority of Mexico. In the United States, they inhabit the states of
California, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, etc. Small populations can also be
found in Florida, Indiana, New York, etc. They inhabit the west coast in South America as well,
with populations located in western parts of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, etc. Cinnamon
Teals are migratory birds, but they tend to fly short distances, migrating only during the day.

Cinnamon Teal Life Cycle

The female Cinnamon Teal builds her nests underneath dead reeds and plant stems where she lays 9-12 eggs which hatch after about three weeks. The chicks are covered in down when they are born and will leave the nest and feed themselves within approximately 30 hours. The duckling will stay close to the female duck until they can take flight at about a month old.

Cinnamon Teal Nesting

Cinnamon Teals can be monogamous but typically court several females during one nesting
cycle. It is also common for several males to court one female during the nesting season. The
nests are constructed by the females and are usually concealed. They are close to the water and
are hidden with grass, sedges, and weeds. The female lays between 9-15 eggs and incubates
them for a period of 21-25 days. Once the eggs have hatched, the female then leads the
hatchlings to the water where they are expected to forage their own food.

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for Identifying Cinnamon Teals

The most common types of bird-watching binoculars for viewing Cinnamon Teals are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

Cinnamon Teal T-shirts

If you love the Cinnamon Teal you should purchase a Bird Watching Academy & Camp T-shirt. To help support bird conservation we donate 10 percent to bird conservation activities.

Cinnamon Teal Iron On Patches

Kids, Youth, and Adults love to collect our Bird Watching Academy & Camp iron-on patches. Our bird-watching patches help you keep track of the birds you have seen and identified. You can also display the patches on our Bird Watching Academy & Camp banners.

The Cinnamon Teal is a great iron-on patch to start your collection with. The patches are durable and can be sewn on or ironed on to just about anything.

Cinnamon Teal Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Cinnamon Teal. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders for Cinnamon Teals

There are many types of bird feeders. Here are our favorite bird feeders for your backyard. We use all of these bird feeders currently. Kids will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. Using this collection of bird feeders will provide a wide variety and many types of birds.

Best Bird Houses for Cinnamon Teals

There are many types of birdhouses. Building a birdhouse is always fun but can be frustrating. These 4 birdhouses have become our favorites. Getting a birdhouse for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. We spent a little extra money on these birdhouses but they have been worth the higher price and look great.

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