Green-winged teal

The green-winged teal is most often found in North America, although it can also be found in areas of Asia and Europe. The green-winged teal is one of the smaller ducks in the family and is about the size of a pigeon. The green and black patches on the wings of this skillful flier are visible when it spreads its wings.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Anseriformes

Family: Anatidae

Genus: Anas

Species: Crecca

Shallow ponds and slow-flowing rivers edged by dense vegetation or other wetland areas are the most common places to find green-winged teals. When they cannot find such habitats, they may also live along the coast in estuaries, lagoons, salt marshes, or reservoirs.

The dull, light-colored, plumage of the female teal with its brown striping provides great camouflage for her amid the vegetation. This is particularly true when she is incubating her eggs or caring for her young. The male has a chestnut head with a broad, green stripe that runs through each eye, across each side of his head, and down his neck. His breast is cream-colored with brown spots, and the rest of his body has finely-striped gray plumage. He also has black and yellow feathers underneath his tail. Even though the female lacks the male's brightly colored plumage, she does have in common with him the distinct black and green wing patches. These are visible when the birds stretch their two-foot (60 centimeter) wings. Green-winged teals average 14 inches (35 centimeters) in length and weigh about eight ounces (227 grams).

Green-winged teals are noted for their superb flying abilities. They are able to fly nearly straight up when they take to the air and twist and turn skillfully while they rapidly gain altitude. These steep climbs into the air are made easy partly because the teals keep their tail feathers dry all the time.

The green-winged teal is an omnivore, meaning it eats plants and meat. Insects and plants on the water's surface or in the mud of the shallow water are the main items in the teals' diet. These birds may also upend and find food beneath the surface which is within the reach of their necks. Mollusks, water beetles, insect larvae, and bugs all enter the teals' bills along with gulps of water. The birds then filter the water from their bills through the fine, comb-like ridges along their bills' edges. The larger pieces of food remain behind and disappear down the gullets, or throats, of the birds. The teals may also waddle onto the land to find vegetation and plant matter or insects. They most often feed at night, but in some areas may feed during the day.

Green-winged teals are monogamous, meaning they choose one mate. As the breeding season begins in April and May, a male teal becomes quite aggressive and may attack another male which comes too close to his mate. Oddly, however, he does not defend a certain territory as do males of other water bird species. The female builds her nest on the ground among vegetation and near the water. Sometime before the season ends in June, she lays seven to 15 eggs in the nest and incubates them for 20 to 23 days. The ducklings can leave the nest almost as soon as they hatch and then follow their mother to the water. The average number of ducklings which survive the first three to four weeks is four or five. The others die from cold or predators. Predators of the green-winged teal include eagles, falcons, osprey, and gulls. Small mammals like foxes may consume green-winged teal eggs. The survivors can mate after one year and may live up to several years.

Female green-winged teals utter rapid, high-pitched quacks, while males whistle.

The green-winged teal is not a threatened species.

Bibliography

Hix, Bryan. “Green-Winged Teal Overview.” All About Birds, 2024, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green-winged‗Teal/overview#. Accessed 6 Apr. 2024.

"Teal Duck Facts - Anas Crecca.” Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/teal. Accessed 6 Apr. 2024.