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Green-winged Teal

Anas crecca

The Green-winged Teal is a small duck with beautiful green feathers on its wings. It loves to swim and can often be seen in ponds and wetlands, quacking happily with its friends.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Green-winged Teal is a small dabbling duck with a prominent iridescent green speculum (wing patch). Males have a striking chestnut head marked with an iridescent green stripe extending from the eye to the nape, and a vertical white bar on their flank.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusAnas
Green-winged Teal
Photo: Koshy Koshy from Faridabad, Haryana, IndiaCC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsView original ↗
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Green-winged Teal

Category

Birds

Rarity

Common

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

9

Interesting facts

It's the smallest dabbling duck found in North America!

Male Green-winged Teals make a unique high-pitched whistling sound.

Their wings beat so fast, they often make a blur in the air!

These tiny ducks can travel thousands of kilometers during migration!

Special abilities

Ability

Explosive Takeoff

Green-winged Teals can spring vertically from the water because of powerful leg muscles, helping them escape predators quickly.

Ability

Agile Flight

Green-winged Teals have strong, pointed wings that help them achieve fast, erratic flight patterns for evasive maneuvers.

Ability

Efficient Dabbling

Green-winged Teals can feed on the water's surface by tipping upside down, reaching food without fully submerging.

Measurements & details

Length
32-40 cm
Wingspan
53-60 cm
Weight
0.14-0.5 kg
Lifespan
5-10 years
Speed
72 km/h
Clutch Size
8-11
Incubation
20-23 days
Migration Distance
3200 km

Diet & Feeding

These ducks feast on tiny seeds, aquatic plants, and small invertebrates found in shallow waters.

Primary Foods

  • Aquatic plant seeds
  • Grasses
  • Sedges
  • Insect larvae
  • Small crustaceans
  • Snails

Foraging Method

  • Foraging

Ecological connections

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Always watch ducks from a distance and don't feed them bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to identify Green-winged Teal?

Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

How long is Green-winged Teal?

32-40 cm

What is Green-winged Teal's wingspan?

53-60 cm

How much does Green-winged Teal weigh?

0.14-0.5 kg

How long does Green-winged Teal live?

5-10 years

How fast can Green-winged Teal move?

72 km/h

What does Green-winged Teal eat?

These ducks feast on tiny seeds, aquatic plants, and small invertebrates found in shallow waters.

Where is Green-winged Teal usually found?

Wetlands

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