Mallard vs Puna Teal
Anas platyrhynchos compared with Spatula puna
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mallard | Puna Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas platyrhynchos | Spatula puna |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 58.0 cm (22.8 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 42.8 cm (16.9 in) |
| Weight | 1100.0 g (38.80 oz) | 507.75 g (17.91 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. Feeds by dabbling, upending, and grazing … | Eats seeds and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow freshwater; diet more invertebrate-heavy in spring breeding … |
| Clutch Size | 4-18 | 5-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Mallard
Nearly any wetland habitat including lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, and urban park ponds.
Puna Teal
High-altitude lakes, salars, and marshy bogs on the puna and altiplano at 3,500–5,000 m in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and northwestern Argentina. Associated with brackish and freshwater high-altitude wetlands.
Song & Call Comparison
Mallard
Female gives the classic 'quack-quack-quack', descending in pitch. Male utters soft nasal 'raeb-raeb'. Both give a high 'gag-gag-gag' when alarmed or taking flight.
Puna Teal
Male gives a clear, high whistle; female responds with a soft, descending quack. The clean whistled note carries distinctly across high-altitude Andean wetlands and salt lakes.
Geographic Range & Migration
Mallard
Native across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand.
Puna Teal
Breeds in sub-Arctic and boreal Eurasia; winters on temperate coastlines and large lakes of Europe and Asia.
Conservation Status
Mallard
Puna Teal
How to Tell Them Apart
Mallard
Breeding males have an iridescent green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast, and grey body. Females are mottled brown. Both sexes show a blue speculum bordered by white.
Broad, flat bill — yellow-green in males, orange-brown in females
Puna Teal
Pale gray body finely vermiculated. Black cap extending to nape contrasting with white face and throat. Bright pale blue bill. Blue forewing patch in flight; green speculum. Sexes similar. High …
About These Birds
Mallard
The mallard is the ancestor of most domestic duck breeds and the most abundant and widespread dabbling duck in the world. Males perform elaborate courtship displays including head-bobbing and whistle-grunt calls. Mallards are highly adaptable, thriving in both wilderness and urban environments.
Puna Teal
A medium-sized pale grey teal with a distinctive blue-grey bill, dark cap, and black-and-white back pattern. Restricted to high Andean wetlands. Found in large flocks on puna lakes and salars. Closely related to Silver Teal; sometimes treated as conspecific.