Brazilian Teal

Amazonetta brasiliensis

The Brazilian Teal is a beautiful duck with a lovely green head and a bright blue patch on its wings. They love to swim in calm waters and can be found in groups, making them fun to watch!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Brazilian Teal is a small duck with a mostly greyish-brown body. Males have a distinctive reddish bill and a vibrant green patch on their wings. Females have a duller bill and often lack the bright green wing patch, making them subtly different.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusAmazonetta

Brazilian Teal

Interesting facts

Brazilian Teal males have brighter colors to attract a mate!

Even Brazilian Teal ducklings can swim and dive hours after hatching!

Their diet helps control aquatic plant growth in their wetlands!

They sometimes nest in tree hollows, not just on the ground!

Special abilities

Brazilian Teals can expertly swim and dive because of their webbed feet and streamlined bodies, which helps them find food underwater.

Brazilian Teals have muted brown and grey feathers that help them blend into the reedy edges of wetlands, making it harder for predators to spot them.

Brazilian Teals can burst quickly into flight from the water due to their strong wing muscles, helping them escape danger fast.

Measurements & details

Length: 35-40 cm
Wingspan: 55-65 cm
Weight: 0.3-0.45 kg
Lifespan: 5-10 years
Top Speed: 70 km/h
Clutch Size: 6-8
Incubation: 24-26 days

Diet & Feeding

They munch on plants, seeds, and tiny water creatures!

Age differences: Ducklings consume more protein-rich insects for rapid growth and development.

Primary Foods

aquatic plants
seeds
aquatic insects
small crustaceans
snails

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Yacare Caiman

Caiman yacare

Hunts adult teals and especially ducklings in their aquatic habitat.

eaten by

Neotropical Otter

Lontra longicaudis

Preys on teals, particularly ducklings and eggs, in wetland areas.

depends on

Amazon Waterlily

Nymphaea amazonum

Eats its seeds and parts of the plant as a food source.

depends on

Small Pondweed

Potamogeton pusillus

Consumes its seeds and vegetative parts, contributing to its diet.

Traits

Webbed Feet

Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Omnivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Filter Feeder

Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.