How to identify it
Breeding male: bright chestnut (cinnamon) body and head with red eyes. [1]
Female: very like a female blue-winged teal with the same wing pattern, but with a slightly heavier, longer bill and a plainer, browner face. [1]
Males in fall eclipse plumage look much like females except for their red eyes. [1]
Small dabbling duck, 36-41 cm. [1]
Compared with the blue-winged teal: Females share the same wing pattern; the cinnamon teal female has a longer, heavier bill and a plainer, browner face. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Blue-winged teal · Spatula discors
- Green-winged teal · Anas crecca
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify Cinnamon teal from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
Freshwater marshes and fresh or alkaline shallow lakes with extensive marsh; generally not coastal salt marsh. In migration may stop on any small pond or reservoir. [1]
How it behaves
Forages in shallow water swimming forward with head partly submerged, straining food; one bird often follows another to feed on food stirred up. [1]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Alberta — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
- British Columbia — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Canada (federal migratory birds) — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022 (SOR/2022-105), Schedule Parts 7-13 (MB, SK, AB, BC, NT, YT, NU)
- Newfoundland and Labrador — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 1 (Newfoundland and Labrador) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Saskatchewan — migratory bird hunting · Saskatchewan Hunters Guide 2026-27
- Arkansas — migratory bird hunting · Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules & Regulations (2026-27) · 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook (PDF)
- Colorado — migratory bird hunting · 2 CCR 406-5 Chapter W-5 Migratory Birds (03/04/2026; eff. 2026-05-01)
- Idaho — migratory bird hunting · Idaho Migratory Game Bird 2026-2027 Seasons & Rules
- Illinois — migratory bird hunting · Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-2027 (PDF read from cached copy of the digest linked on this page)
- Iowa — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Iowa Hunting, Trapping & Migratory Game Bird Regulations (DNR PDF; page numbers cited)
- Kansas — migratory bird hunting · Kansas Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, Fall 2025-Spring 2026
- Louisiana — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting Regulations (updated Aug 7, 2026)
- Minnesota — migratory bird hunting · Minnesota Hunting & Trapping Regulations (effective July 2026 - June 30, 2027)
- Missouri — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest 2026-2027 (cached PDF from MDC regulations page)
- Montana — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Waterfowl, Sandhill Cranes, Mourning Doves & Snipe Regulations
- Nebraska — migratory bird hunting · Small Game & Waterfowl Guide 2025-2026
- New Mexico — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 New Mexico Migratory Game Bird Supplement
- North Dakota — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Small Game, Waterfowl and Furbearer Proclamation
- Ohio — migratory bird hunting · Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27 (effective 1 Sep 2026-31 Aug 2027); PDF read from cached copy
- Oklahoma — migratory bird hunting · Ducks, Mergansers & Coots · September Teal, Geese & Sandhill Cranes
- South Dakota — migratory bird hunting · 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook
- Texas — migratory bird hunting · Blue-winged, Green-winged and Cinnamon Teal: 2026-2027
- Utah — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook
- Washington — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Washington Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulations (Jul 1 2026 - Jun 30 2027)
- Wisconsin — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Wisconsin Hunting and Trapping Seasons PUB-CS-076-2026 (updated 06/08/2026)
- Wyoming — migratory bird hunting · WGFC Ch. 14 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons and Light Goose Conservation Order (dated Apr 22 2026)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Strictly western in North America: breeds and occurs mainly from Western Canada south through the Northwest, Rocky Mountains, Plains, California, the Southwest and Texas, with scattered records farther east. Also has nesting populations in South America.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society