Muscovy Duck vs Blue-billed Teal
Cairina moschata compared with Spatula hottentota
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Muscovy Duck | Blue-billed Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Cairina moschata | Spatula hottentota |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 69.0 cm (27.2 in) | 29.4 cm (11.6 in) |
| Weight | 2140.0 g (75.49 oz) | 269.2 g (9.50 oz) |
| Diet | Eats seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; dabbles in wetlands; omnivorous diet shifts with season and … | Feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally … |
| Clutch Size | 8-15 | 5-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Muscovy Duck
Tropical and subtropical lowland forest near rivers, lakes, mangroves, and wetlands from Mexico through Central America to Peru, Bolivia, and Uruguay. Common near forest-edge water. Feral populations worldwide.
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
Muscovy Duck
Males are nearly silent; females give a raspy, low 'grrrr' hiss when threatened. Domesticated birds familiar worldwide but wild birds are surprisingly quiet and secretive.
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
Muscovy Duck
Breeds across northern Eurasia from Scandinavia east to the Russian Far East; winters in the tropical Old World.
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
Muscovy Duck
Blue-billed Teal
How to Tell Them Apart
Muscovy Duck
Glossy black plumage with large white wing patches. Bare red facial skin with warty caruncles, more extensive in males. Males larger; females less knobby-faced. Dark bill. Domestic forms vary widely …
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
Muscovy Duck
A large powerfully built duck with black-and-white plumage, bare red caruncles on the face of males, and strong claws for perching in trees. Native from Mexico to Peru and Uruguay. Widely domesticated worldwide; feral populations on every continent. The ancestor of domestic Muscovy ducks.
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.