I just came from seeing the CITE at the 140th St. marsh found by Drew Smith and Mark Ochs. There has been some discussion as to its identity (male, female, both, neither, adult, juvenile, etc.). The bird is an adult male that has not fully completed its molt to eclipse plumage. It appears to have replaced all of its body feathers, including wing coverts. The head feathers and flight feathers (primaries and secondaries) have have not been replaced, but soon the flight feathers will all be molted all at one time and the bird will be flightless for a few weeks which is typical for waterfowl. The head fealthers will also be replaced and the eye will turn from red to yellowish during the eclipse period.
This is at the early end of the spectrum for molt in teal at this latitude. My guess is that this CITE probably bred early and perhaps farther south (KS, OK, NM, CO?) and thus is a bit ahead of what we see for Blue-winged Teal in Minnesota. Thus it is a plumage we are not accustomed to seeing here in Minnesota. Waterfowl often travel hundreds of miles after breeding to complete the molt, sometimes well to the north of their breeding area. Let's hope it sticks around so we can learn and enjoy. Jim Mattsson (former waterfowl guy) Eagan
