Cinnamon Teal Superspecies #7 Anas cyanoptera Vieillot         Field Guide IDs: NG-82; G-50; PE-52; PW-pl 14; AE-pl 112; AW-pl 117; AM (1)-164 Nest Location Nest Type Eggs & Mating System Dev. & Parental Care Primary & 2ndary Diet.. Foraging Strategy F I: 21-25 DAYS PRECOCIAL 2 F 7-12 (4-16) MONOG F: 49 DAYS F INSECTS MOLLUSKS DABBLES BREEDING: Alkaline wetland in arid area, shallow lake margin with emergent veg, pond, lagoon, slough, sluggish stream, marsh. 1 brood. DISPLAYS: See: Duck Displays. NEST: Usu in marsh or adjacent meadow; depression concealed by woven veg. Lined sparsely with bits of grass; copious down added as clutch is completed. Nest occ wet and bulky. EGGS: Pinkish-buff. 1.9" (48 mm). DIET: Mostly aquatic veg seeds; also insects, snails. Forage in shallow water along shorelines. CONSERVATION: Winters s to n S.A. Populations decline in response to encroachment of civilization and agriculture (draining wetlands for cultivation and diverting water for irrigation). NOTES: Redheads often parasitize; Mallards and Ruddy Ducks also parasitize, occ remove teal eggs. Clutches >11 may be result of parasitization. Pair bond maintained throughout most of incubation. Young hide by diving or seeking veg cover; adult feigns injury before flying away. Hybridizes with Blue-winged Teal. STANFORD. NOTES: ESSAYS: Metallic Poisons; Dabblers vs. Divers; Species and Speciation; Parasitized Ducks; Hybridization; Feathered Nests; Distraction Displays; Monogamy. REFERENCES: Bellrose, 1976; Gooders and Boyer, 1986.