Puna Teal

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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.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Envergadura	42,8 cm	16.9 in
Peso	507,75 g	17.91 oz

Identificación

Plumaje

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 Andean lakes.

Habitat & Range

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.

🌿 Humedal 🌾 Pastizal

Distribución geográfica

Breeds in sub-Arctic and boreal Eurasia; winters on temperate coastlines and large lakes of Europe and Asia.

Diet & Feeding

Eats seeds and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow freshwater; diet more invertebrate-heavy in spring breeding season.

Estado de conservación

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Comportamiento y reproducción

Nidificación

Nest type: SC. Incubation: 25-26 days.

Tamaño de la puesta

5-6

Sonido

Canto

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.

Taxonomía

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Orden	Anseriformes (Aves Acuáticas)
Familia	Anatidae (Patos, Gansos y Cisnes)
Genus	Spatula
Especies	Spatula puna

Distribution

Puna Teal has been recorded in 3 countries.

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Presente Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Bélgica 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇳🇴 Noruega

External Databases

Preguntas frecuentes

What does the Puna Teal eat?

Eats seeds and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow freshwater; diet more invertebrate-heavy in spring breeding season.

Where does the Puna Teal live?

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.

Is the Puna Teal endangered?

The Puna Teal has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Puna Teal nest?

Nest type: SC. Incubation: 25-26 days.

What does the Puna Teal sound like?

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.

How big is the Puna Teal?

The Puna Teal has a wingspan of 42.8 cm, weight of 507.75 g.

What order and family does the Puna Teal belong to?

The Puna Teal (Spatula puna) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.