Many of the male ducks have extremely attractive plumage, but the cinnamon teal steals the show. His body is encompassed with a bold rusty color that stands out among the flock. While they are most likely during spring and fall migration, cinnamon teal pass through in small numbers so they are seldo m seen. Shallow ponds and marshy areas offer the best chances of catching a glimpse of them, but they might also turn up near shrubby and grassy areas along the edges of lakes, ponds and rivers. Waterfowl are a large group of birds well adapted to a wet lifestyle and include swans, geese and ducks. They have webbed feet and are skilled swimmers and divers, but many will also roam onto land to graze on vegetation. They have long necks and narrow pointed wings. Some waterfowl are resident, but most are migratory. Most waterfowl have a colorful band on the wing known as the speculum. Teal are in a group known as the surface feeding ducks. They rarely dive, rather they feed by grazing near shoreline, wading in shallow areas, submerging their beak while swimming, or by “dipping”, when they tip their body underwater with their backside up in the air. They can spring from the water surface to become airborne. Other surface feeding ducks that are fairly common locally include: Gadwall, Mallard, northern pintail and the blue-winged and green-winged teal. The female cinnamon teal has a mottled brownish body and is quite similar to the other female teal, but her beak is wider and flatter. Juveniles resemble the females. Besides the obvious cinnamon body of the male, he also has a piercing red eye and a black beak and rump. In flight both the male and female display a powder blue shoulder with an iridescent green speculum. Cinnamon teal are rather quiet, but may emit muffled quacks and soft whistles. They primarily eat insects and other invertebrates in addition to aquatic vegetation. I have only observed cinnamon teal one time in Teller County in late April, a pair at a small pond near Manitou Lake. The male was engaged in courtship activity, swimming around the female while bobbing his head up and down like a goofball which was fun to watch. One of the more reliable places to observe cinnamon teal is at the nearby birding hotspot of Fountain Creek Regional Park just south of Colorado Springs. They can be found there during spring and fall and tend to be most abundant in early spring. From the Willow Springs parking area and trailhead, walk southward along the wide road/trail and look for slough areas on the right side that may harbor attractive goodies like Cinnamon Teal and Wood Duck. Joe LaFleur studied wildlife biology and communications at Colorado State University. He is author of the book Mountain Birds of Teller County and creator of “Better Birdwatching,” a DVD series on North American birds. His betterbirdwatching.com website features a Teller County Bird Checklist and Blog. Contact him with questions and feedback at [email protected]. BOX BIRD SIGHTINGS Notable reports from the Woodland Park Yard Area in January: – Downy Woodpecker- a couple sightings – White-breasted Nuthatch- one or two around most of the time Dark-eyed junco subspecies: Pink-sided- one or two around most of the time, slate-colored one on Jan. 3 Pine siskin- two on Jan. 18 Gray-crowned rosy-finch- report of a flock of over 100 south of Lake George from Jan. 24 to 26. ...read more read less