The smallest dabbling duck in North America, the green-winged teal is the same bird as the popular common teal of Europe, but despite being lumped together in many field guides, the two birds are being considered for a species split. In the meantime, birders around the world can enjoy these colorful ducks, no matter what name they are called.

Common Name: Green-Winged Teal, Common Teal, Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Green-Winged Teal, Teal


Scientific Name: Anas crecca

Scientific Family: Anatidae

Appearance:

• Bill: Black on males and gray-black on females, spatulate shape, relatively long for head size
• Size: 12-16 inches long with 20-25-inch wingspan, compact build, round head, short tail
• Colors: Black, white, chestnut, green, brown, buff, pale yellow, pink, gray
• Markings: Dimorphic species. Males have a rich chestnut head with a green patch curving from the eyes to the sides of the neck, with a thin white border below the green (Eurasian birds also have a thin pale border above and in front of the green patch). The breast may be buff or could show a pinkish wash and has black dots. Upperparts and flanks are finely barred black and white and may appear gray at a distance. A black patch is visible at the edge of the wing, and a vertical white bar separates the breast from the flanks (Eurasian birds lack that vertical bar). The abdomen is plain white, and the undertail coverts are black with a pale yellow patch at the hip. In flight, the bright green speculum is easily visible and is bordered on the sides with black and with white-buff above and below.
  
  Females are mottled brown, black and buff, and show a metallic green speculum patch that can often be seen when the wings are folded. Plumage is paler below and the head is more finely speckled. A dark eye line is prominently visible. For both genders, the legs and feet are dirty yellow or yellow-brown. Juveniles are similar to adult females.

Foods: Plants, seeds, grain, grasses, insects, mollusks (See: Herbivorous)

Habitat and Migration:

These ducks prefer shallow freshwater pools, lakes and marshes, as well as other wetlands and bogs. In winter, they may also be found in brackish waters.

Green-winged teal are found year-round in parts of their range. In North America, this includes the Pacific Northwest and northern Rocky Mountain region as far south as northern New Mexico and east to western Nebraska, while in Europe they are found in the United Kingdom year-round.

During the summer breeding season, these ducks expand much further north to suitable nesting habitats, spreading throughout the northern United States and Canada in North America and Scandinavia and Russia, including Siberia, in Europe, though they are not found in the northernmost Arctic regions. In winter, the green-winged teal spreads much further south, including into Mexico in North America as well as northern Africa, the Nile River Valley, the Middle East and throughout southeastern Asia.

These ducks are early migrants and may be one of the first signs of spring migration birders notice.

Vocalizations:

These are relatively noisy ducks with a sharp, peep-like whistle note and different types of chattering calls. Females use a descending series of raspy quacks.

Behavior:

These ducks are gregarious and may be found in large flocks, particularly after the breeding season, though they spread out more while nesting. They may graze on land or tip forward in the water to forage in mud, submerging their heads and necks to reach the bottom of shallow ponds and pools. They can take off quickly from the water's surface and are fast, agile fliers that may wheel and turn in unison.

Reproduction:

These are monogamous ducks that mate after a male attracts a female's attention with courtship displays that include rearing out of the water, arching the neck and rapidly shaking the bill at the water's surface. The female builds a shallow scrape nest, reinforcing the sides with twigs, leaves and grass and lining the cup with down. The elliptical eggs range in color from dull, creamy white or buff to a faint olive color, and there may be 6-18 eggs in each brood. The female incubates the eggs for 20-24 days, and the precocial young can leave the nest a few hours after hatching. They remain with their female parent for guidance, however, and the ducklings will be ready for their first flight in 33-35 days. Only one brood is raised each year.

Green-winged teals hybridize with a variety of other dabbling ducks, including gadwalls, Eurasian wigeons, mallards, cinnamon teals, northern shovelers, garganeys and other species.

Attracting Green-Winged Teals:

These are not backyard ducks, though they may visit suburban ponds or urban parks where habitat is suitable. Protecting local habitat is the best way to ensure their continued presence.

Conservation:

These ducks are heavily managed as a game bird species, and in fact are the second most popular duck hunted in the United States (mallards are the most popular). Discarded lead shot can be a toxic threat to the green-winged teal, however, and fishing line and water pollution are other concerns.

Similar Birds:

• Baikal Teal (Anas formosa)
• American Wigeon (Anas americana)

Photo – Green-Winged Teal – Male © Mike's Birds
Photo – Green-Winged Teal – Female © Mike's Birds