Ringed Teal

Callonetta leucophrys

The Ringed Teal is a small, colorful duck with a beautiful ring around its neck. They are friendly and love to swim in calm waters, making them fun to watch!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Ringed Teal is a small, elegant duck, featuring a prominent black cap and a distinct black line forming a ring around the nape. Males have a chestnut-brown back, pale grey flanks, and a pinkish bill. Females are duller with a mottled brown appearance.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusCallonetta

Ringed Teal

Interesting facts

Male Ringed Teals flash iridescent green feathers on their wings, though it's often hidden when resting.

Their soft, high-pitched whistling calls sound very different from a typical duck's loud 'quack'.

This duck is one of the smallest waterfowl species in the world, barely bigger than a pigeon!

Unlike many ducks, Ringed Teals prefer to nest in tree hollows high above the ground near water.

Special abilities

Ringed Teal can perch comfortably in trees because of strong, sharp claws that help them grip branches securely.

Ringed Teal has exceptional maneuverability in flight that helps them swiftly navigate dense forest canopy and tricky wetlands.

Ringed Teal can dive and swim efficiently underwater to find submerged seeds and tiny invertebrates.

Measurements & details

Length: 35-38 cm
Wingspan: 58-62 cm
Weight: 0.3-0.45 kg
Lifespan: 5-10 years
Top Speed: 70 km/h
Clutch Size: 6-12
Incubation: 26-28 days

Diet & Feeding

Ringed Teals eat a mix of seeds, aquatic plants, and tiny insects from freshwater habitats.

Primary Foods

aquatic seeds
algae
water plants
insect larvae
small invertebrates

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Roadside Hawk

Buteo magnirostris

Predatory hawk that may hunt adults or ducklings.

eaten by

Neotropical Otter

Lontra longicaudis

Aquatic mammal that can prey on eggs and young ducklings.

eats

Common Water Hyacinth

Eichhornia crassipes

They consume the seeds and vegetation of this floating plant.

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.