Blue-winged Teal

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Blue-winged Teal in Ciénaga de Zapata?

Possible. About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-winged Teal sighting in Ciénaga de Zapata on a given day, based on 290 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 81st most-seen of the 177 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Blue-winged Teal in Ciénaga de Zapata?

February–March and December. In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-winged Teal in Ciénaga de Zapata on a given day, against under 5% in May and October, the lowest months. Those are among Ciénaga de Zapata's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 150 mm in June. September has too few records to rate.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Blue-winged Teal?

Between 9 am and noon. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blue-winged Teal sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Ciénaga de Zapata the best place to see a Blue-winged Teal?

8th of 62. Of the 62 parks where we can rate Blue-winged Teal sightings, Ciénaga de Zapata ranks 8th at about 20%. The best odds are in Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 60%), Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 50%) and Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 40%). All parks ranked.

Q: Where does the Blue-winged Teal sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Blue-winged Teal is recorded against all the birds logged in Ciénaga de Zapata (290 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Spatula discors

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
GenusSpatula (Shovelers and Allies)
SpeciesSpatula discors (Blue-winged Teal)

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

at Ciénaga de Zapata

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

290 Verified sightings at Ciénaga de Zapata From 2019 to 2026

14,484 In all 62 parks

March Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Blue-winged Teal

The blue-winged teal (Spatula discors) is a species of bird in the duck, goose, and swan family Anatidae. One of the smaller members of the dabbling duck group, it occurs in North America, where it breeds from southern Alaska to Nova Scotia, and south to northern Texas. It winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and south into the Caribbean islands and Central America.

The first formal description of the blue-winged teal was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae. He coined the binomial name Anas discors. A molecular phylogentic study comparing mitochondrial DNA sequences published in 2009 found that the genus Anas, as then defined, was non-monophyletic. The genus was subsequently split into four monophyletic genera with ten species including the blue-winged teal moved into the resurrected genus Spatula. This genus had been originally proposed by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1822. The name Spatula is the Latin for a "spoon" or "spatula". The specific epithet discors is the Latin for "different" or "at variance".

The blue-winged teal is 40 cm (16 in) long, with a wingspan of 58 cm... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Alarm call0:22

Canada · 2022

Song0:10

Colombia · 2019

Call0:05

United States · 2017

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 22 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~60%
2	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	~50%
3	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
4	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
5	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~30%
6	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
7	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
8	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~20%
9	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~20%
10	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
11	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
12	Padre Island National Seashore	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
13	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
14	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
15	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
16	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~10%
17	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
18	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
19	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
20	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
21	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
22	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
23	Badlands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
24	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
25	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
26	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
27	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
28	Kluane National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
29	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
30	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
31	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
32	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
33	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
34	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
35	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
36	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
37	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
38	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
39	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
40	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
41	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
42	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
43	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
44	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
45	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
46	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
47	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
48	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
49	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
50	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
51	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
52	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
53	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
54	Cumbres de Monterrey National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
55	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
56	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
57	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
58	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
59	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
60	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
61	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
62	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	León	🇲🇽 México	~30%
2	Bogota	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
3	San Luis Potosí	🇲🇽 México	~20%
4	Mexico City	🇲🇽 México	~10%
5	Miami	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
6	Panama City	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
7	Calgary	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
8	Edmonton	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
9	San Diego	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
10	Los Angeles	🇺🇸 United States	~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	National Zoological Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	Ecomuseum Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
3	Columbus Zoo and Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
4	Sedgwick County Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	Parque y Zoológico Nacional Arquitecto Manuel Valverde Podestá	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	In captivity
6	Phoenix Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
7	The Maryland Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
8	Xcaret	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
9	Dakota Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
10	Saint Louis Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
11	Centro Cicogne e Anatidi	🇮🇹 Italy	In captivity
12	Cologne Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
13	Aviario Nacional de Colombia	🇨🇴 Colombia	In captivity
14	Zoológico Thomas Belt	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	In captivity
15	Tracy Aviary	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
16	Aquarium of the Americas	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
17	Florida Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
18	Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
19	Texas State Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
20	Cologne Zoo Aquarium	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
21	Les Oiseaux du Marais Poitevin	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
22	Ogród Zoologiczny w Katowicach	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity

Show all 22 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Ciénaga de Zapata

Spatula clypeata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aythya affinis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Mareca americana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Dendrocygna arborea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Mergus serrator

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Anas acuta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Anas bahamensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Aix sponsa

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Cathartes aura

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Riccordia ricordii

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Setophaga ruticilla

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Setophaga palmarum

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Blue-winged Teal in Ciénaga de Zapata?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-winged Teal sighting in Ciénaga de Zapata on a given day, based on 290 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 81st most-seen of the 177 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Blue-winged Teal in Ciénaga de Zapata?

February–March and December

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-winged Teal in Ciénaga de Zapata on a given day, against under 5% in May and October, the lowest months. Those are among Ciénaga de Zapata's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 150 mm in June. September has too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Blue-winged Teal?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blue-winged Teal sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Ciénaga de Zapata the best place to see a Blue-winged Teal?

8th of 62

Of the 62 parks where we can rate Blue-winged Teal sightings, Ciénaga de Zapata ranks 8th at about 20%. The best odds are in Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 60%), Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 50%) and Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 40%). All parks ranked.

Where does the Blue-winged Teal sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Blue-winged Teal is recorded against all the birds logged in Ciénaga de Zapata (290 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Ciénaga de Zapata

Blue-winged Teal

About the Blue-winged Teal

Sounds

Recent sightings of Blue-winged Teal in Ciénaga de Zapata

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Ciénaga de Zapata

Northern Shoveler

Lesser Scaup

American Wigeon

West Indian Whistling-Duck

Red-breasted Merganser

Northern Pintail

White-cheeked Pintail

Wood Duck

Turkey Vulture

Cuban Emerald

American Redstart

Palm Warbler

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Blue-winged Teal in Ciénaga de Zapata?

When is the best time to see a Blue-winged Teal in Ciénaga de Zapata?

What time of day is best to see a Blue-winged Teal?

Is Ciénaga de Zapata the best place to see a Blue-winged Teal?

Where does the Blue-winged Teal sighting chance come from?