Steller's Eider vs Blue-billed Teal
Polysticta stelleri verglichen mit Spatula hottentota
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Merkmal | Steller's Eider | Blue-billed Teal |
|---|---|---|
| Wissenschaftlicher Name | Polysticta stelleri | Spatula hottentota |
| Ordnung | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Familie | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Erhaltungsstatus | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Länge | — | — |
| Flügelspannweite | 40,7 cm (16.0 in) | 29,4 cm (11.6 in) |
| Gewicht | 815,75 g (28.77 oz) | 269,2 g (9.50 oz) |
| Ernährung | Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow coastal and estuarine habitats; diet invertebrate-dominated. | Feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates; filter-feeds in shallow water; broadly omnivorous and seasonally … |
| Gelegegröße | 3-10 | 5-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Steller's Eider
Breeds on low-lying coastal tundra in Arctic Russia and occasionally Alaska. Winters on shallow rocky sea coasts, kelp beds, and sheltered bays in the Baltic Sea and Pacific coast of Alaska. Listed as Vulnerable.
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
Steller's Eider
Male produces a low, soft cooing note; female gives a guttural, grunting purr. Quieter than other eiders; the male's gentle cooing is unlike the louder calls of the Common Eider.
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
Steller's Eider
Breeds in boreal Canada and Alaska; winters along Pacific and Atlantic coasts and on large interior lakes of the US.
Blue-billed Teal
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic Eurasia; winters at sea in the North Atlantic and from western Europe to eastern Africa.
Erhaltungsstatus
Steller's Eider
Blue-billed Teal
How to Tell Them Apart
Steller's Eider
Males have white head with green nape spot, black eye patch and chin; orange-buff underparts; black back with white wing patches. Females mottled dark brown with blue speculum bordered white. …
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
Steller's Eider
A small sea duck. Males have a white head with green facial markings, black throat patch, chestnut underparts, and white back; females are dark brown. The smallest eider. Breeds in Arctic tundra; winters in Baltic Sea and Alaskan coastal waters. Vulnerable to contaminants and oil spills.
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.