Introduction
The blue-winged teal (Spatula discors) is a small dabbling duck found in North America. Male blue-winged teal have gray-blue wings with white stripes, while females have mottled brown plumage. Blue-winged teal make a variety of vocalizations, including whistles, peeps, and quacks. Their calls serve purposes like maintaining pair bonds, alarming, and communicating during flight. Understanding the sounds of blue-winged teal can help birders identify this species in the field.
Courtship Calls
Male blue-winged teal have a soft, squeaky “peep” they give during courtship. This call is often given repeatedly, sounding like “peep-peep-peep.” It is used to maintain the pair bond between mates and communicate with females. Females may respond with a similar-sounding “peep” of their own. Males also have a raspy “neow” call that serves to attract females during the breeding season. In addition, males give a whistle during courtship flights. This is a loud, clear whistle of one or two notes that carries over distances. The whistles help maintain bonds and signal when males are flying over areas.
Alarm Calls
Blue-winged teal have several alarm calls that alert others to danger. One is a harsh, rattling “krrr” sound given repeatedly when the ducks are agitated. This call signals nearby birds to be cautious. Another alarm call is a nasal “neah” that warns of disturbances and alerts the young. Females may give a series of quacks in alarm as well. Blue-winged teal generally give alarm calls when predators like eagles, hawks, coyotes, or other threats approach them on land or water. Their vocal warnings let other teal in the area know to be on alert.
Flight Calls
During flight, blue-winged teal make soft whistling calls. These high-pitched “peeweet” whistles help signal individual birds and keep flocks together while flying. The flight whistles are often given in a series, “peeweet peeweet.” Males give a chatter call in flight as well. This consists of fast “bebebebebebebebebebe” vocalizations in rapid succession. It is thought the “bebebebe” chatter may be used to signal aggressive intentions while competing for food in flight. Blue-winged teal may also give quacks or peeps while flying.
Calls of Ducklings
Blue-winged teal ducklings make soft, high-pitched peeping calls. These calls allow ducklings to communicate with their mother and siblings while foraging. Ducklings peep frequently during feeding to maintain contact. If lost, ducklings may give constant, loud distress calls. The peeping calls become deeper as the ducklings grow. Drakes begin using adult vocalizations by about 6 weeks of age.
Nocturnal Quacks
At night, blue-winged teal are much more vocal than during the day. Their nocturnal calls include loud quacks and high-pitched squeaks or whistles. Groups of teal may erupt in quacking choruses at night. These vocal outbursts are thought to communicate the location of food sources and maintain flock contact in the dark. The choruses help signal when it’s time for birds to begin foraging.
Geographic Variation
The calls of blue-winged teal do not seem to vary significantly across different parts of their range. However, one study found their calls tend to be higher-pitched at higher latitudes and altitudes in accordance with Bergmann’s rule. For example, birds in Alaska give calls averaging around 2.6 kHz compared to 2.3 kHz for teal in Texas and Mexico. This helps their calls be heard over longer distances in northern environments. But overall, blue-winged teal vocalizations are similar throughout North America.
Habitat and Call Use
Habitat | Typical Calls |
---|---|
Breeding ponds and marshes | Male whistles and “peeps” for courtship, raspy “neow” call to attract females |
Nesting areas in grasslands | Female “quacks” and “peeps” to tend nest and ducklings |
Open water of lakes and wetlands | Whistling flight calls, chatter sounds, quacks |
Migration stopovers and wintering water | “Krrr” alarm call, whistles |
The calls blue-winged teal make can vary depending on the habitat. On breeding ponds and marshes, males give courtship peeps and whistles. Females use quacks and peeps around nesting areas to tend eggs and ducklings. On open water, the teal make flight calls and chatter. And on migration and winter sites, they use more alarm calls and whistles when flocking in large numbers. Habitat influences the types of vocalizations teal need to communicate.
Time of Year and Call Use
Time Period | Typical Calls |
---|---|
Breeding Season (April – July) | Male courtship peeps, whistles, raspy “neow” call; female “peeps” |
Nesting (May – July) | Female quacks, peeps with ducklings |
Early Migration (August – September) | Flight whistles; alarm calls at stopovers |
Late Migration (February – March) | Flight whistles; courtship beginning |
Wintering (November – January) | Flight calls; nocturnal chorusing |
The time of year influences the vocalizations of blue-winged teal. During breeding, more courtship calls are heard. Females vocalize while nesting and rearing ducklings. Migration brings more flight whistles, while wintering results in nocturnal chorusing. The calls change with their yearly cycle of breeding, migrating, and wintering habitats.
Functions of Blue-winged Teal Vocalizations
- Courtship peeps and whistles help males attract mates and strengthen pair bonds
- Raspy “neow” call advertises male presence to females
- “Peeps” help maintain contact between mates
- Alarm “krrr” signals danger or threats in the area
- Nasal “neah” specifically warns ducklings of disturbance
- Flight whistles aid communication while in transit
- “Bebebebe” chatter may signal aggression over resources
- Quacks raise alarm and communicate at night
- Peeping by ducklings helps maintain family contact
- Nocturnal chorusing advertises food sources
In summary, blue-winged teal make whistles, peeps, quacks, and chatter sounds for important reasons like courtship, alarming, communicating while flying, and staying together. Their vocalizations are diverse and help the teal coordinate many behaviors throughout the year.
Mimicking the Calls of Blue-Winged Teal
Here are some tips for birders to mimic the common calls of blue-winged teal:
Courtship Peep
- Use a high-pitched, squeaky “peep” sound, repeating it in a series
- Mimic the cadence of “peep-peep-peep” in sets of three peeps
- Make the call quiet and breathy like a real teal
- Practice the peeping call frequently to attract birds during breeding season
Flight Whistle
- Whistle a clear, loud, high-pitched note or two notes
- Mimic the thin, airy quality of a real teal’s whistle
- Time it when seeing teal flying overhead
- Use whistles especially during migration seasons
Quack
- Make a loud “quack” sound from the throat
- Repeat in a series of quacks like real teal do
- Use when seeing teal take flight or at night to elicit responses
- Vary the tempo and pitch of quacks
With practice, birders can reproduce some of the common blue-winged teal vocalizations. Carefully mimicking their peeps, whistles, and quacks when timed appropriately can help attract teal and elicit responses. Listening closely to teal calls is key to imitating them accurately.
Conclusion
In conclusion, blue-winged teal have a diverse repertoire of vocalizations they use to communicate important behaviors. Males make courtship peeps and whistles to attract mates, while alarm calls signal danger. Flight calls like whistles and chatter help coordinate flocks, while nocturnal quacking facilitates foraging. The functions and contexts of blue-winged teal calls are important for birders to understand for identifying this duck. Knowing their sounds aids in detecting and attracting blue-winged teal in many habitats during breeding, migration, and wintering periods. With careful mimicry, the peeps, whistles, and quacks of blue-winged teal can be reproduced to bring these birds into view.