From Opus

Alternative name: Green-winged Teal

A. c. crecca
Photo by ness123
Cley, Norfolk, January 2006

Anas crecca

[edit] Identification

334-43cm
Male

• Grey body with black vermiculations
• Chestnut head and neck

A. c. carolinensis
Photo by Forcreeks
Oaks Bottom, Portland, Oregon, March 2004

• Dark green patch before eye to hindneck
• Black and white horizontal striped flanks crecca
  • Vertical white stripe on carolinensis
• Buff, brown spotted breast
• White belly
• Black tail
• Yellow sides to undertail
• Dark grey bill and feet
• Brown iris
  

Female

• Brown body with dark streaks and mottling
• Dark greyish-brown head, neck and eyestripe
• Pink based bill, grey towards tip
• Greyish-olive feet
• Brown iris

[edit] Similar Species

Female
Photo by warrener
Upton Warren, Worcestershire, January 2010

Female looks like a very small Garganey

[edit] Distribution

Widespread throughout Eurasia, Africa (except the south), North and Central America

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

Anas crecca has three subspecies:¹

• A. c. crecca

• Palearctic; winters to Africa, India and South East Asia

• A. c. nimia (not always considered valid)

• Aleutian Islands

Female subspecies carolinensis
Photo by bobsofpa
Green Cay Wetlands, Florida, USA, February 2010

• A. c. carolinensis

• North America; winters to Mexico and West Indies
• Was recognised as a separate species, the Green-winged Teal¹; taxonomy still in much of debate as subspecies seem to be more closely related to the Speckled Teal than each other.

[edit] Habitat

Freshwater wetlands, reedbeds, small lakes and ponds.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Flight

Explosive vertical take-off when startled.

[edit] Diet

Their diet is varied and includes insects, larvae, worms, molluscs and crustaceans and vegetation including seeds.

[edit] Breeding

Photo by targetman
Lincolnshire, February 2011

It is a ground nester, nesting in a hollow lined with leaves and down feathers, near water. The 8-11 eggs are incubated for 21-23 days. The young fledge 25-30 days later.

[edit] Vocalisation

Call: a clear, far-reaching, whistle.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
3. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728
4. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links