Fall Migration Begins - Blue-winged Teal Invade Iowa
by Lowell Washburn

In sharp contrast to most species of migratory waterfowl, the annual passage of blue-winged teal is highly predictable.

By the time the golden rod tops have began turning bright yellow, which is happening right now, the first adventuresome flocks of southbound teal will have already landed on local wetlands.

Of all North American waterfowl, blue-winged teal are the very first to migrate. Most migrations begin on clear days at sunset and continue through the night. In the prairie pothole country of northern Iowa, blue-wing numbers generally peak during the last week of August or first week of September. Although overall numbers diminish from there, new flocks continue arriving in the state through early October.

Abundant and ever popular with hunters, no duck offers better table fare - at any time of the year - than September blue-wings. The success of Iowa's early hunting days rises or falls with the availability of migrating blue-wings.

Notoriously restless, blue-wings seldom remain in one place for long. In spite of mild weather or abundant food sources, many of the flocks that arrived in Iowa during late August will be exploring the Gulf Coast wetlands of Louisiana by Labor Day weekend. Teal banded in Iowa have been recovered less than a month later by duck hunters in Jamaica, Venezuela and Guatemala.

For migrating blue-wings, there's good reason to be so anxious. No other species of duck or goose travels faster or farther down the flyways. Most teal will journey at least as far south as Central America or northern South America. Significant numbers will even travel below the equator to winter in Brazil and Peru --- an incredible distance of 4,000 miles from the summer breeding grounds.