Blue-winged teal (Anas discors) A surface feeder, blue winged teal is a shy duck preferring protected marshes and ponds as habitat. Take­offs are nearly vertical. The male boasts a white crescent on the face and a white flank patch. Males are subject to seasonal molts, but colorful plumage is restored by early fall. Blue-winged teals fly rapidly in small, compact flocks. photo by Mary Tremaine, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology