Common Teals
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The Common Teal or Teal (Anas crecca) is a common and widespread duck which breeds in the northernmost areas of Europe and Asia. It is the Old World counterpart of the North American Green-winged Teal, Anas carolinensis, with which it is sometimes considered conspecific.
This dabbling duck is strongly migratory and winters south to Africa and south Asia. It highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and will form large flocks. In flight, the fast, twisting flocks resemble waders.
This is the smallest dabbling duck at 34-38 cm length with a 53-59 cm wingspan. The breeding male has grey flanks and back, with a yellow rear end and a white-edged green speculum, obvious in flight or at rest. It has a chestnut head with a green eye patch. It is distinguished from drake Green-winged Teal by a horizontal white scapular stripe, no vertical white bar on side of breast, and thin buff lines on its head.
The females are light brown, with plumage much like a female Mallard. They can be distinguished from most ducks on size and shape, and the speculum. Separation from female Green-winged Teal is problematic.
In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake looks more like the female.
It is a common inhabitant of sheltered wetlands with some taller vegetation, such as taiga bogs in the breeding season, and usually feeds by dabbling for plant food or grazing. It nests on the ground, near water and under cover.
This is a noisy species. The male has a clear whistle, whereas the female has a feeble "quack".
It is found throughout the UK, where it is often known simply as Teal. However its main status there is of a winter visitor from Siberia, with a few stopping at favoured spots to breed, as well as a summer visiting only population in the Scottish Highlands.
The Common Teal is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
(Source: Wikipedia.org)
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