Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptera

Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptera, Male and Female. Photograph taken in the San José del Cabo Rió Lagoon, Baja California Sur, February 2016.

Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptera, Male and Female. Photograph taken Alamos, Sonora, December 2019. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

Background and Identification

The Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptera, is a member of the Anatidae Family of Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl. This species is often kept in waterfowl collections due to its distinctive markings and deep plumage colorings. When birds that are a part of these collections escape, it can be hard for ornithologists studying them to know whether an out-of-range sighting is a wild bird or an “escapee” from a hobby farm, wildlife sanctuary, or zoo. Unlike most ducks, the Cinnamon Teal has separate breeding populations in North and South America, and they rarely hybridize. In Mexico, this species is called Cerceta Colorada.

Cinnamon Teals are mid-sized for a dabbling duck and exhibit sexual dimorphism. Males are longer, have a larger mass, and exhibit different plumage. Males have average lengths of 38.4 cm (15.1 inches) to 42.8 cm (16.9 inches), and females have an average length of 36.0 cm (14.2 inches) to 42.3 cm (16.7 inches). The male Cinnamon Teal is easily identified by its deep cinnamon-red head, neck, and body, along with a dark greenish-black back and tail. The wings are marked with a light blue patch on the upper side, bordered by white, which becomes more prominent during flight. The bill is long and black, and the eyes are a distinctive bright red. Females are more subtly colored, with mottled brown plumage that provides camouflage in their wetland habitats. They also have a pale blue wing patch, similar to the males but less vibrant. Both sexes have a characteristic spatula-shaped bill, which is slightly larger than that of similar species. Males are much brighter than females in alternate (breeding) season plumage but molt to a more basic and dull plumage during the non-breeding season. In their basic plumage, males appear more similar to females, except have a scarlet red iris and bright iridescent bronze-green speculum. Juveniles are brownish with smaller and more pointed contour feathers, these are the feathers that form the outline of a bird’s plumage.

Habitat and Geographical Range

They are found in seasonal and permanent freshwater wetland environments including reservoirs, slow-moving streams, ditches, and ponds. During the breeding season, they favor shallow wetlands, marshes, and ponds with abundant emergent vegetation, which provides both food and cover. Their diets consist of a wide variety of gastropods, insects, and seeds.

In Mexico, they are found throughout the country with the exception that they are absent from the Yucatán Peninsula and in the State of Chiapas. In winter, many cinnamon teals migrate to more southern regions, including coastal areas and inland wetlands in Mexico and Central America. They are year-found residents of the central plateau and winter visitors to the coastal regions of both the Atlantic and Pacific Slopes at elevations below 4,200 m (13,800 feet).

Common Misidentifications

The Cinnamon Teal can sometimes be confused with other similar teal species, particularly the Blue-winged Teal, Spatula discors. While both species have blue wing patches, the Blue-winged Teal male lacks the cinnamon coloration, instead displaying a grayish-blue head with a white crescent in front of the eye and a mottled brown body.

Conservation Status

From a conservation perspective the Cinnamon Teal is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. Conservation efforts focus on the protection and restoration of wetland habitats, which are crucial for breeding, feeding, and migration. Ensuring that wetlands are preserved and that agricultural practices do not negatively impact these areas is vital for the continued survival of the Cinnamon Teal.