Black-headed Duck vs Cinnamon Teal
Heteronetta atricapilla compared with Spatula cyanoptera
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Black-headed Duck | Cinnamon Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Heteronetta atricapilla | Spatula cyanoptera |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 34.7 cm (13.7 in) | 37.5 cm (14.8 in) |
| Weight | 528.5 g (18.64 oz) | 406.25 g (14.33 oz) |
| Diet | Parasitic; adults may feed on aquatic plants, seeds, and invertebrates in South American marshes. Diet … | Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in wetland shallows; broadly omnivorous diet varies with … |
| Clutch Size | 2 | 4-16 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Cinnamon Teal
Freshwater and brackish marshes, ponds, and shallow lakes with emergent vegetation in western North America and wintering in Central and South America. Uses seasonal wetlands and agricultural ponds.
Song & Call Comparison
Black-headed Duck
Male gives a soft, raspy peeping note; female produces a muted quack. An obligate brood parasite with reduced vocalizations; subdued calls suit its secretive lifestyle among Argentine reeds.
Cinnamon Teal
Male produces a high, whistled peep; female gives a soft quacking rattle. The male's bright whistle punctuates North American and South American wetland dawns during migration.
Geographic Range & Migration
Black-headed Duck
Resident in southern South America from southern Brazil and Bolivia south to Argentina and Chile. Found on lakes and marshes in open lowlands.
Cinnamon Teal
Breeds in Arctic Canada and Alaska; winters on sea ice and coasts of the North Atlantic and North Pacific.
Conservation Status
Black-headed Duck
Cinnamon Teal
How to Tell Them Apart
Black-headed Duck
Male has distinctive jet-black head and neck, warm chestnut-brown back, and pale buff underparts; blue-grey bill with red base. Female is streaked brown above with pale supercilium and whitish underparts.
Cinnamon Teal
Males striking; deep cinnamon-red head and body with dark brown back. Red eye. Pale blue forewing and green speculum. Females mottled brown with pale blue forewing. Bill spatulate. Dimorphic western …
About These Birds
Black-headed Duck
A small diving duck (~530 g) of South America, family Anatidae, and the sole member of genus Heteronetta. Inhabits freshwater marshes and lakes in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Unique among waterfowl as an obligate brood parasite, laying eggs in nests of coots and other waterbirds. Feeds on seeds and aquatic invertebrates. Least Concern.
Cinnamon Teal
A small duck. Males are brilliant all-over cinnamon-red with a bright blue-grey wing patch and red eye; females are mottled brown. Found in western North America and South America. Breeds in western United States and winters in Central America and South America.