The Common Teal is a duck species of the genus Anas. Also known as “Eurasioan teal”, these birds are native to Europe and Asia, and migrate during winters.
Table of Contents
Scientific Classification
Animalia
Chordata
Aves
Anseriformes
Anatinae
Anas
Anas crecca
Table Of Content
Table of Contents
Scientific Classification
Animalia
Chordata
Aves
Anseriformes
Anatinae
Anas
Anas crecca
Table of Contents
Description
Color: These birds have a dark head and a yellow colored back. The wings bear white stripes. They have gray colored feathers over the rest of their body. The upper part of the neck is chestnut. The breasts appear buff, have small brownish round spots. The middle of the belly region is white with the feathers appearing mostly white; light gray and black patterns are visible when seen from up close.
Size: They are relatively small, measuring 34 to 43 cm long.
Weight: The standard weight of this animal is 360g for males and 340 g for females.
Wings: The length of the wings is 17.5 to 20.4 cm.
Wingspan: They have a wingspan of 53 to 59 cm.
Bills: Their bills measure between 3.2 to 4 cm. The male ducks have dark grey bills and the females have a pink or yellow base that turn dark grey in the tip.
Tail: The tail is black and the concealed part of the tail has a triangular shade of bright yellowish-buff in the mid-region of the concealed sides.
Picture 1 – Common Teal
Feet: The males have dark grey feet and the females have grayish olive or grayish-brown feet.
Juveniles: The young ones look similar to the female ducks. They weigh 15 grams when hatching.
Behavior
They are very social birds.
These ducks tend to be noisy. The males give out whistles that are clear and go out very far. The female birds give out weak quacks.
They often form large groups.
They migrate to various parts of the world during winter.
Diet
These birds feed on seeds and vegetation like stems and leaves. They also eat seeds of buttonbush, wheat, corn and barley. Mollusks and insects also form an important part of their diet.
Distribution
These birds are scattered over a wide range. Due to their migratory nature they are found in large parts of the world. Northern parts of Eurasia form the native land of these birds. Some have been found in the southern coast of Iceland, the northern shores of Black Sea, Caucasus and the western part of Asia Minor.
As the winter sets in, these birds flock to South Asia, Japan, Taiwan and much of the Mediterranean that includes the stretch of Iberian Peninsula and western Mauritania. These ducks find shelter in the Persian Gulf, Nile Valley, northern Iran, South Korea during the winter months.
Some wandering birds have been found in Malaysia, Greenland, Congo, and in the Micronesian regions of Yap, Palau and Marianas. They have also been identified in coastal North America.
Habitat
They prefer staying in the water most of the time, usually in bays, small ponds, and inland lakes. During the migratory period these birds choose deltas, swamps and estuaries of rivers and seas.
Predators
The ducks are constantly threatened by its predators such as red foxes, raccoons, magpies, and crows.
Picture 2 – Common Teal Photo
Mating Season
The birds form mating pairs during the winter months, and reach the mating grounds together during March.
Reproduction
These ducks start breeding in May. The females lay around 5-16 eggs but the number is often 8 to 11. Eggs are incubated for 21 to 23 days.
The young birds leave the nest as soon as they hatch. Mothers take care of their young ones for 25 to 30 days before they learn to fly.
Life Span
These birds live for 3 years, on average, in the wild. However there have been records of individuals reaching 18 years of age.
Sub-species
Three subspecies of Eurasian Teal have been identified:
A. c. carolinensis : They are native to North America and migrate to the West Indies and Mexico during winters.
A. c. crecca : They are native to the Palearctic region and migrate to warmer regions of South East Asia, Africa and India during winter.
A. c. nimia : There is dispute in consideration of this animal (whether they are a sub-species or its own unique species). They are native to the Aleutian Islands.
Conservation Status
IUCN has listed these ducks on the LC or “Least Concern” category.
Interesting Facts
Someinteresting facts about the Eurasian Teal:
They are migratory and travel great distances around the world.
These birds are very social in nature.
They eat while dabbling through the shallow waters in search of insects and plants.
Male birds emit gentle whistles while the females give out a weak quack.
Young birds are known to leave their nests as soon as they hatch.
During breeding season they feed largely on worms, larvae, molluscs, insects and crustaceans.
They change their eating habit during winter, feeding on seeds of water grasses and plants.
Migration and Range
These are migratory birds that travel large distances, across Southeast Asia, Micronesian islands of Palau, Yap and Marianas, the Mediterranean and Black Seas, Japan, Taiwan, mountainous stretch of South Korea and Iran, the Iberian Peninsula and the west of Mauritania.
Call
These birds are very social and noisy. The male birds give out mild whistles that are clear and far reaching. The females give weak ‘quack’ sounds.
