Blue-billed Teal

Über uns

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.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Flügelspannweite	29,4 cm	11.6 in
Gewicht	269,2 g	9.50 oz

Identifizierung

Gefieder

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.

Habitat & Range

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.

🌿 Feuchtgebiet

Geografisches Verbreitungsgebiet

Breeds in Arctic and subarctic Eurasia; winters at sea in the North Atlantic and from western Europe to eastern Africa.

Diet & Feeding

Feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally variable.

Erhaltungsstatus

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Verhalten & Brutverhalten

Nistverhalten

Incubation: 25-27 days. Fledging: 60-65 days.

Gelegegröße

5-12

Lautgebung

Gesang

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.

Taxonomie

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Ordnung	Anseriformes (Wasservögel)
Familie	Anatidae (Enten, Gänse und Schwäne)
Genus	Spatula
Arten	Spatula hottentota

Distribution

Blue-billed Teal has been recorded in 2 countries.

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Vorhanden Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Belgien 🇳🇴 Norwegen

External Databases

Häufig gestellte Fragen

What does the Blue-billed Teal eat?

Feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally variable.

Where does the Blue-billed Teal live?

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.

Is the Blue-billed Teal endangered?

The Blue-billed Teal has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Blue-billed Teal nest?

Incubation: 25-27 days. Fledging: 60-65 days.

What does the Blue-billed Teal sound like?

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.

How big is the Blue-billed Teal?

The Blue-billed Teal has a wingspan of 29.4 cm, weight of 269.2 g.

What order and family does the Blue-billed Teal belong to?

The Blue-billed Teal (Spatula hottentota) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.