Pink-footed Goose vs Blue-billed Teal
Anser brachyrhynchus compared with Spatula hottentota
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Pink-footed Goose | Blue-billed Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anser brachyrhynchus | Spatula hottentota |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 86.4 cm (34.0 in) | 29.4 cm (11.6 in) |
| Weight | 2590.0 g (91.36 oz) | 269.2 g (9.50 oz) |
| Diet | Grazes grasses and aquatic plants near rivers; takes invertebrates in breeding season; nomadic in response … | Feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally … |
| Clutch Size | 2-8 | 5-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Pink-footed Goose
Breeds on tundra and cliff ledges in Greenland, Iceland, and Svalbard. Winters on agricultural fields, saltmarshes, and estuaries in Scotland, England, Netherlands, and Denmark.
Blue-billed Teal
Freshwater lakes, marshes, pans, and flooded grasslands across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Sudan south to the Cape. Nomadic; follows seasonal rains. Common but easily overlooked among reed beds.
Song & Call Comparison
Pink-footed Goose
A musical, high-pitched 'wink-wink' — noticeably higher and more musical than Greylag or Bean Goose. The 'wink' call is a reliable identification feature in winter flocks.
Blue-billed Teal
Male utters a soft, teal-like peep; female gives a muted quack. Pairs call quietly in dense papyrus; soft contact calls help birds maintain proximity in thick African marsh vegetation.
Geographic Range & Migration
Pink-footed Goose
Breeds on Arctic and sub-Arctic tundra ponds across North America; winters on both US coasts and Gulf Coast estuaries.
Blue-billed Teal
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic Eurasia; winters at sea in the North Atlantic and from western Europe to eastern Africa.
Conservation Status
Pink-footed Goose
Blue-billed Teal
How to Tell Them Apart
Pink-footed Goose
Dark brown head and neck. Back grayish-brown; underparts pale gray. Diagnostic pink feet and pink-banded dark bill. Pale blue-gray forewing in flight. Compact and round-headed. Sexes similar.
Blue-billed Teal
Small; males have pale blue-gray bill contrasting with brown-gray body. Head finely spotted; underparts barred brown and white. Males show powder-blue forewing in flight. Females browner. African marsh species.
About These Birds
Pink-footed Goose
A compact short-necked goose with a pink-and-black bill, pink feet, and warm brown-grey body. Breeds in Greenland, Iceland, and Svalbard; winters in northwestern Europe. One of Britain's most spectacular winter visitors; massive roosts of over 200,000 birds occur in Scotland.
Blue-billed Teal
A small dark teal with blue-grey bill and legs, brown-streaked plumage, and fine pale spotting on the flanks. The most widespread teal in sub-Saharan Africa. Found on freshwater lakes and marshes. Highly nomadic; follows seasonal rainfall. Swims low in the water like a pochard.