Mallard vs Cinnamon Teal
Anas platyrhynchos compared with Spatula cyanoptera
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mallard | Cinnamon Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas platyrhynchos | Spatula cyanoptera |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 58.0 cm (22.8 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 37.5 cm (14.8 in) |
| Weight | 1100.0 g (38.80 oz) | 406.25 g (14.33 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. Feeds by dabbling, upending, and grazing … | Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in wetland shallows; broadly omnivorous diet varies with … |
| Clutch Size | 4-18 | 4-16 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Mallard
Nearly any wetland habitat including lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, and urban park ponds.
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
Mallard
Female gives the classic 'quack-quack-quack', descending in pitch. Male utters soft nasal 'raeb-raeb'. Both give a high 'gag-gag-gag' when alarmed or taking flight.
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
Mallard
Native across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand.
Cinnamon Teal
Breeds in Arctic Canada and Alaska; winters on sea ice and coasts of the North Atlantic and North Pacific.
Conservation Status
Mallard
Cinnamon Teal
How to Tell Them Apart
Mallard
Breeding males have an iridescent green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast, and grey body. Females are mottled brown. Both sexes show a blue speculum bordered by white.
Broad, flat bill — yellow-green in males, orange-brown in females
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
Mallard
The mallard is the ancestor of most domestic duck breeds and the most abundant and widespread dabbling duck in the world. Males perform elaborate courtship displays including head-bobbing and whistle-grunt calls. Mallards are highly adaptable, thriving in both wilderness and urban environments.
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.