The blue-winged teal is a fast-flying duck.  The adult male is a beautiful bird.  Its most conspicuous feature is a crescent of white that extends from the top of the head to the chin in front of the eye.   The blue-winged teal is found throughout the United States.  This duck is so reluctant to leave the Southland where it spends the winter that it is one of the last ducks to arrive on its breeding grounds.  Each spring I look forward to their return, as they can most generally be easy to get close to and observe.  They are friendly and not quite as spooky as their green-winged cousins.  They are a beautiful bird to see flying by and each time I have the pleasure to observe them I am amazed at the speed of their flight.  Like its cousin the blue-winged teal is a puddle duck and feeds all summer heavily preparing for the fall migration, and has a problem keeping up with the larger ducks that it accompanies during this period.  Fortunately they get there eventually and repeat the cycle for the coming year.