Common Teal

About

A small compact dabbling duck. Males have a chestnut head with a broad metallic green eye-stripe, finely vermiculated grey body, and buff-yellow undertail coverts. The smallest regularly occurring dabbling duck in Europe. Highly migratory and one of the most abundant teal worldwide.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Wingspan	36.1 cm	14.2 in
Weight	325.0 g	11.46 oz

Identification

Plumage

Males have chestnut head with iridescent green eye patch bordered cream. Gray body with horizontal white shoulder stripe. Cream and black undertail. Females mottled brown. Small and fast-flying. Iridescent green speculum.

Habitat & Range

Breeds on boreal and subarctic freshwater marshes, lakes, and bogs across Eurasia. Winters on freshwater lakes, estuaries, rice paddies, and coastal marshes from northwest Europe and Africa east to Southeast Asia.

🏖️ Coastal 🌿 Wetland

Geographic Range

Breeds in sub-Arctic and boreal Canada and Alaska; winters along the Pacific coast from Alaska to southern California.

Diet & Feeding

Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; diet dominated by hard-shelled prey in coastal and freshwater habitats.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Nest type: CP. Incubation: 22 days. Fledging: 28 days.

Clutch Size

8-11

Sound

Song

Male gives a ringing, bell-like krick call; female produces a soft, descending quack. The male's crystalline high note is a hallmark sound of Eurasian wetlands; flocks produce a musical tinkling chorus.

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Anseriformes (Waterfowl)
Family	Anatidae (Ducks, Geese & Swans)
Genus	Anas
Species	Anas crecca

Distribution

Common Teal has been recorded in 7 countries.

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Present Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Common Teal eat?

Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; diet dominated by hard-shelled prey in coastal and freshwater habitats.

Where does the Common Teal live?

Breeds on boreal and subarctic freshwater marshes, lakes, and bogs across Eurasia. Winters on freshwater lakes, estuaries, rice paddies, and coastal marshes from northwest Europe and Africa east to Southeast Asia.

Is the Common Teal endangered?

The Common Teal has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Common Teal nest?

Nest type: CP. Incubation: 22 days. Fledging: 28 days.

What does the Common Teal sound like?

Male gives a ringing, bell-like krick call; female produces a soft, descending quack. The male's crystalline high note is a hallmark sound of Eurasian wetlands; flocks produce a musical tinkling chorus.

How big is the Common Teal?

The Common Teal has a wingspan of 36.1 cm, weight of 325.0 g.

What order and family does the Common Teal belong to?

The Common Teal (Anas crecca) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.