Measurements. Adult males have grayish bodies with a narrow white vertical stripe extending from the waterline to the shoulder. In good light, their dark heads are cinnamon with a wide green swoop from the eye to the back of the neck. Females are brown with a yellowish streak along the tail.
What is the difference between a teal and a Green-winged Teal?
The most conspicuous difference in males is the presence of a horizontal white stripe along the lower scapulars on Common Teal (absent on Green-winged) and the presence of a vertical white bar on the side of the breast of Green-winged (absent on Common).
Where are green wing teal found?
Green-winged teal have an extensive wintering range, having been recorded as far north as Alaska and Newfoundland and as far south as northern South America. They are most abundant along the Mississippi and Central Flyways, where the coastal marshes and rice fields of Louisiana and Texas provide ideal habitat.
What does teal ducks look like?
Breeding males are brown-bodied with dark speckling on the breast, slaty-blue head with a white crescent behind the bill, and a small white flank patch in front of their black rear. Females and eclipse males are a cold, patterned brown. In flight, they reveal a bold powder-blue patch on their upperwing coverts.
Where do Green-winged Teal ducks live?
Marshes, rivers, bays. In summer, open country near shallow freshwater lakes and marshes. In migration and winter, found on coastal estuaries and tidal marshes, also on shallow lakes and ponds inland, seeming to prefer those with much standing or floating vegetation.
How long does a Green-winged Teal live?
The oldest known Green-winged Teal was at least 20 years, and 3 months.
What do Green-winged Teal eat?
The green-winged teal eats the seeds of pondweeds, bulrushes, sedges, grasses, grain and berries. It pokes its head down in the water to sift food from the mud, and it pulls grasses and weeds up from the water’s edge. It often travels a good distance from water to find food. Young teals also eat insects.
How long do teal ducks live?
How long do teals live? In the Wild, teals have an average lifespan between 10-17 years, up to 23 years has been recorded. In Captivity, they usually live up to 10-17 years, but lifespan up to 23 years has been recorded.
How fast does a Green-winged Teal fly?
60 mph
The green-winged teal is the smallest dabbling duck native to America. It is among the fastest fliers of the game birds, capable of flying 97 kph (60 mph) but usually flies 80 kph (50 mph).
How big is a green wing teal?
14.5 inches
The green-winged teal grows to 14.5 inches in length with a wingspan of 24 inches. Males and females have different patterns and coloring. Males have a chestnut head with a green, crescent-shaped patch running through the eye to the back of the head.
Where are teal ducks found?
Blue-winged teal are common in winter from Central America, the Caribbean and South America south to Peru and northeastern Brazil. They also stay regularly in small numbers in the Galapagos Islands and are vagrants to Chile, southeastern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina (Scott and Carbonell, 1986).
How many different types of teal ducks are there?
There are more than 20 species of teal throughout the world, though it is possible that similar dabbling duck species may be reclassified or different teal could be split or lumped into additional species in the future, therefore changing the number of unique teal species.
Do teals migrate at night?
Migrations and Local Movements
Most waterfowl migrations occur at night. Studies indicate that migratory movements intensify shortly after sunset, peak in the middle of the night, and decline thereafter. The result can be an impressive increase in local waterfowl numbers overnight.
Do teal ducks migrate?
The Blue-winged Teal is the second only to the Mallard as the most abundant duck in North America. The Blue-winged Teal is among the latest ducks to migrate northward in spring, and one of the first to migrate southward in fall.
Where do teals nest?
Nests are typically built in sedge meadows, grasslands, brush thickets, or in woods near a pond. The female chooses a spot that offers dense cover that may form a complete canopy over the nest.
What is the smallest wild duck?
The pygmy geese are a group of very small “perching ducks” in the genus Nettapus which breed in the Old World tropics. They are the smallest of all wildfowl.
Where do teal ducks migrate?
Migration. Resident to medium-distance migrant. Migrates from northern North America via all major flyways—Pacific, Central, Mississipi, and Atlantic—to reach wintering grounds from coastal British Columbia to as far south as Central America.
What makes teal migrate?
The slightest north wind or dip in temperature can trigger their migration. Then these birds will push rapidly toward their wintering grounds in southern U.S. coastal areas, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Where can I hunt green-winged teal?
Green-Winged Teal Hunting Techniques
Large flooded agricultural fields, exposed mudflats, and shallow marshes are good options. Use your binoculars to scout these areas in the early mornings before your hunt, if that’s a possibility.
Is green wing teal good eating?
Bluewing and Greenwing Teal. Teal are among the best eating ducks of all.
Does teal land into the wind?
The pocket should be within shotgun range and encourage the most ideal angle of approach. Decoyed teal land into the wind, which should be coming from the back of the blind, encouraging the normally difficult-to-hit teal to come in straight toward the gunners.