The Cinnamon Teal is a special duck in that it is considered one of the most beautiful ducks in the Americas. Additionally, it is considered one of the best tasting ducks to eat by many food critics.
Other interesting Cinnamon Teal Facts:
-They are so close genetically to the Blue-winged Teal that they will readily breed with them
-Paired males tend to have higher body protein content and more brilliant plumage than their Unpaired counterparts
(Hohman, Ankney, 1994)
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
The Cinnamon Teal is generally not under great pressure from hunting, as it migrates early in the fall and as a result it is not heavily harvested in the U.S. and Canada. Still, it is one of the least abundant ducks in North America. They receive competition from the Blue-winged Teal, which has a larger population. This may contribute to the limiting of the Cinnamon Teal's expansion of a breeding range in North America. However, the Cinnamon Teal seems to be better suited for wetlands in the West and has the highest concentration in this area. (Gammonley, 1996)
US Migratory Bird Act: protected
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
There are no known negative effects upon humans.
The Cinnamon Teal is known to be an extremely tasty species of duck, and is hunted for recreation. (LaTourette, 1999)
Positive Impacts: food ; research and education
The Cinnamon Teal is the victim of brood parasitism by other ducks (coots, mallards, redheads, and ruddy ducks), and it is also a brood parasite of other ducks itself.
Cinnamon teals disperse seeds while eating them. Because they eat aquatic vegetation they help to prevent overgrowth which hinders mobility of water animals. Finally, their predation on molluscs and insects helps to control those populations. Because Cinnamon Teal have many predators, they are important to the survival of many animals, including Coyotes and Coots. (Gammonley, 1996)
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds
Species Used as Host:
Generally, Cinnamon Teal feed in the shallow waters of marshes and lakes. They also dive for food, or get it from the shoreline. Cinnamon Teal dive for vascular rooted plants, or they eat arthropods from the bottom-aquatic bed.
From terrestrial surfaces, Cinnamon Teal eat flowers and fruits of grass-like vegetation. On the surface of the water, they feed on floating vascular plants. From the bottom and water column, they feed on a number of species, including various invertebrates and arthropods. (Vanderah, 1985)
Foods commonly eaten include: seeds, submergent plants, emergent plants, insects and mollusks.
Animal Foods: insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods; mollusks
Plant Foods: leaves; seeds, grains, and nuts
Primary Diet: omnivore
There are five subspecies of the Cinnamon Teal, all native to the New World. The only subspecies native to North America is the Northern Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera septentrionalium). The Northern Cinnamon Teal breeds in western North America from British Columbia south to California and winters in the south-western States and Mexico. The remainder of the subspecies are native to South America. The Argentine Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera cyanoptera) breeds from southern Peru south into Argentina and the Falkland Islands. The largest subspecies, the Andean Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera orinomus), is located in the high elevation areas of Peru, Bolivia and Chile. The smallest subspecies is the Tropical Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera tropica) from the lowlands of Columbia. The rarest subspecies, the Borrero's Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera borreroi) is located only in the highlands of Columbia.(Wescott, 1998)
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )
The Cinnamon Teal prefers shallow ponds, marshes, and lakes with alkaline water, which are bordered by low herbaceous growth.
Also, the Cinnamon Teal tends to reside in basins that have extensively developed vegetation. Nesting is near water in perennial vegetation. The vegetation tends to be low and includes baltic rush, saltgrass, and spikerrush. Adults that have broods tend to reside in areas of seasonal and semipermanent wetlands that have plentiful emergent cover. (Gammonley, 1996)
Habitat Regions: terrestrial
Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds
Wetlands: marsh
Other Habitat Features: riparian
The survival rates are not well known due to the fact that not many Cinnamon teal have been banded. The oldest Cinnamon Teal known in 1982 was 12 years 11 months of age. Although current survival rates are not well documented, an experiment from 1972 by Kozlik estimated that 29 percent of juveniles survived one year, and of these 46 percent survived to the second year. (Gammonley, 1996)
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 12 (high) years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 155 months.
The characteristics of the Cinnamon Teal vary depending on the age and sex of the bird. Although there are slight variations between different subspecies of A. cyanoptera, they tend to share common traits nonetheless. The color of the adult male's head, chest, and underside is generally purple-chestnut, and the abdomen is dark brown. The lower back and rear of the bird are greenish-brown, while the wing coverts are blue. There are variations in shoulder feather color between birds, ranging from yellow with a center stripe, to green with a center stripe.
The juvenile is similar in appearance to the adult female, having a green speculum with a white leading edge, and pale blue upper secondary coverts. The adult male's basic markings are similar to these, but he has red eyes and a brighter forewing. From the fall to the spring, the adult male has an alternate plumage. The head, neck, belly, and flanks are bright red, while the back is dark brown. Additionally, the male has black undertail coverts in the fall through spring time span. (Gammonley, 1996)
Range mass: 363 to 408 g.
Average mass: 340 g.
Average length: 41 cm.
Average wingspan: 19 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
The Cinnamon Teal hens are very protective of their nests; when a predator is nearby the female creates a disturbance to draw attention away from the nest. It is most common for the nesting females to be killed by predators. The males protect the nest sites from predators but they tend to circle the area rather than spending time directly protecting the nest as the females do. (Gammonley, 1996)
Known Predators:
Mating pair bonds are renewed each season, during the winter. Females attract the males by swimming in front of the desired mate. The reproductive behavior of males includes several behaviors intended to attract unpaired females, such as Preen-behind-wing, Preen-dorsally, Belly-preen, Preen-back-behind-wing, Repeated calls, Turning back of head, and Head-dip. If several males are competing for one female, drakes perfrom short flight displays. Actual copulation occurs on the water surface. The male and female both engage in head bobbing directed toward one another. Next, the female gets into a prone position and the male then gets behind the female and mounts while grasping the neck with his bill. After internal copulation, both the male and female bathe and preen. (Gammonley, 1996)
Mating System: monogamous
The Cinnamon Teal hen constructs a half-moon shaped nest out of plant stems and dead grass. Young birds are covered in down when they hatch, and leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching. Generally this is to travel with the hen to a nearby water source. The ducklings are able to feed themselves from the first day that they hatch. However, they remain under the care of the hen until fledging, which occurs after 7 weeks. As they get closer to fledging they range farther from the nest and the hen.
During the eighth week of development, the eyes of the drake become red. Sexual maturity is reached after one year, when a Cinnamon Teal is able to breed. (Vanderah, 1985)
Breeding season: Winter
Range eggs per season: 4 to 16.
Average eggs per season: 8.
Range time to hatching: 21 to 25 days.
Average fledging age: 49 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); oviparous
Average eggs per season: 10.
Parental Investment: precocial ; female parental care
