Green-winged Teal

Adult males feature a striking chestnut head with a wide, iridescent green eyepatches extending to the back of the neck, a finely vermiculated grey body, a vertical white mark on the breast, and a yellowish-buff patch on the rear flanks. Females and non-breeding males are mottled brown with a whitish belly and a dark-streaked face.

Smallest dabbling duck, iridescent green head patch on males, horizontal white scapular line along the back, and buffy patch under the tail.

Length: 31-39 cm (12-15 inches), Wingspan: 58-64 cm (23-25 inches), Weight: 140-500 g (5-18 oz)

Males give a clear, musical, rising whistle (kree-eek), while females emit a soft, low quack.

Primarily feeds on seeds of aquatic grasses, sedges, and weeds, as well as aquatic insects, crustaceans, and mollusks by dabbling or tipping up in shallow water.

Shallow freshwater marshes, ponds, estuaries, sheltered coastal bays, and flooded fields.

Strongly migratory, traveling in flocks from northern breeding grounds to southern wintering areas.

Nests on the ground in well-concealed spots among tall grass or shrubs near water. Lays 6 to 11 creamy-white or buff eggs. Incubation is done entirely by the female for about 21 to 23 days.

Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca), which males differ from primarily by lacking the vertical white breast stripe, though the two are often considered conspecific.

Acts as an important seed disperser for aquatic plants and helps control invertebrate populations in wetland ecosystems.

Least Concern, with stable populations globally.

Look for them in shallow wetlands, marshes, and flooded agricultural fields, often feeding alongside other dabbling ducks. They are skittish and flush quickly when approached.

Despite their small size, Green-winged Teals are exceptionally strong flyers capable of taking off vertically straight out of the water.