Green-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca
At a Glance
North America's smallest dabbling duck. Very common and widespread, The Green-winged Teal remains further north in the winter than other teal. Often rests out of the water, even standing on low snags or branches. Flocks in flight appear very fast because of small size, with rapid twisting and turning in unison. Typically travels in small flocks, but in winter or at migration stopovers, may gather in concentrations of thousands.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Duck-like Birds, Ducks and Geese, Surface Feeding Ducks
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Coasts and Shorelines, Fields, Meadows, and Grasslands, Freshwater Wetlands, Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers, Saltwater Wetlands, Tundra and Boreal Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North, California, Eastern Canada, Florida, Great Lakes, Mid Atlantic, New England, Northwest, Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Southwest, Texas, Western Canada
Behavior
Direct Flight, Swimming
Population
6.700.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
After breeding, adults may go through annual molt near nesting area or may move hundreds of miles in late summer before going through flightless stage of molt. Main fall migration much later, mostly October to early December. Females may move somewhat farther south than males, on average. Spring migration begins early, with mated pairs often traveling north together. The race of Green-winged Teals on the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, is mostly non-migratory. The American subspecies of the Green-winged Teal regularly strays to Europe, just as the Eurasian subspecies of Green-winged Teal occurs annually in North America.
Description
Sexes similar; male slightly larger — Length: 12.2 - 15 in (31 - 38 cm); wingspan: 20.9 - 23.2 in (53 - 59 cm); weight: 7.8 - 14.1 oz (220 - 400 g). The male Green-winged Teal has a chestnut head with green ear patch, white bar on side of chest, yellow "tail-light." Female known by its small size, strong eyeline, and gray bill. "Eurasian" Green-winged Teal is a resident on islands of western Alaska, also rare winter visitor in northwestern and northeastern United States; male has white back stripe, lacks white chest bar. The female is not safely identified.
Size
About the size of a Crow, About the size of a Robin
Color
Brown, Gray, Green, Red, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Pointed, Tapered
Tail Shape
Rounded, Short, Wedge-shaped
Songs and Calls
Clear repeated whistle. Females quack.
Call Pattern
Flat, Simple
Call Type
Croak/Quack, Rattle, Whistle
Habitat
Marshes, rivers, bays. In summer, open country near shallow freshwater lakes and marshes. In migration and winter, found on coastal estuaries and tidal marshes, also on shallow lakes and ponds inland, seeming to prefer those with much standing or floating vegetation.
Sign up for ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡'s newsletter to learn more about birds like the Green-winged Teal
Behavior
Eggs
A Green-winged Teal generally lays 6-11 eggs, rarely up to 18. The eggs are cream to pale buff. Incubation is by female only, 20-24 days, usually 21.
Young
Young will leave the nest a few hours after hatching. Female cares for ducklings, which may return to the nest for the first few nights; young find all their own food. Young fledge at about 35 days.
Feeding Behavior
Forages by wading or swimming in very shallow water while filtering mud with bill, up-ending, or picking items from water's surface. May feed by night or day.
Diet
The diet of the Green-winged Teal is quite variable with season and location. Feeds especially on seeds of grasses, sedges, pondweeds, many others. Also takes aquatic insects, crustaceans, mollusks, tadpoles; rarely earthworms, fish eggs. May feed more on animal matter in summer, seeds in winter.
Nesting
Pairs usually arrive already mated on breeding grounds. In one courtship display, male rears up out of water, arching head forward and downward to shake bill very rapidly in water while giving a sharp whistle. Nest site is usually among grasses and weeds of meadow, sometimes in open woodland or brush, within 200 ft of water. Well hidden by surrounding grasses or shrubs, which often form complete canopy. Nest (built by female) is a shallow depression filled with grasses, twigs, and leaves, lined with down.
Conservation
Conservation Status
The Green-winged Teal is very common and widespread.
Climate Threats Facing the Green-winged Teal
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
