Date: 10/12/26 9:30 pm From: Lola Ross <lolabones...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Re: Help with teal ID
Thanks to Dominik and Kent, who both replied that it looked like a cinnamon
teal. Dominik also pointed out that the facial markings and bill size are
consistent with a first year cinnamon teal.
Thank you again! Always love learning from the community!
On Mon, Oct 12, 2026 at 6:36 PM Lola Ross <lolabones...> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> This duck was seen at Elkhorn Ranch pond on the festival field trip
> Saturday. The more exposed photos are mine; the more saturated photo is
> Dana Cox’s. We are torn between cinnamon teal and blue-winged teal. Merlin
> photo ID has given both ID’s (2 and 2 for these four shots).
>
> Dana is leaning toward cinnamon due to the thickness of the bill and its
> dark color. I can also see the bird seems to have a warmer tone to its
> feathers, which might indicate cinnamon. The things that make me hesitate
> in calling it cinnamon are the length of the bill, which to my eyes looks a
> little shorter and less shoveler-like than I think of with cinnamon teal,
> and the darker eyeline. It does seem to have less white behind the bill,
> though, which also might indicate cinnamon teal.
>
> I think in typing this out I’m convincing myself it’s a cinnamon teal, but
> I would love others’ thoughts. (Full disclosure: I also really want it to
> be blue-winged teal because I don’t have one for Monterey County yet, lol).
>
> Thanks, everyone!
> -Lola
>
>
