Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

Teal, a migratory game bird, is gaining popularity among waterfowlers; the blue wing, green wing and cinnamon teal migrate through Texas.

Of those three the blue wing and green wing are probably the most predominant.

Dave Morrison is waterfowl program leader. Size generally differentiates teal from other waterfowl.

Blue wings are much smaller birds. They’re usually about a pound. Green wings are probably the smallest of all dabbling ducks – coming in about three quarters of a pound. They fly in real small compact flights.

Teal season starts September 15th and runs for sixteen consecutive days.

And basically this season is designed because they are early migrants. Blue wings are probably the second or third most abundant species there is. Birds get up there, they breed, go through the molt, then they head back south. Texas is kind of a stop-over before they go into Central and South America.

Some years, says Morrison, teal season is only nine days.

This is based on the breeding population. When the blue wing numbers are above 4.7 million on the breeding pair counts, we have a 16 day option. When they fall below that 4.7, we have a nine day option.

Find a link to the 2007-2008 Outdoor Annual at passporttotexas.org.

Our show is made possible by the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife… I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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