From Opus

This article is incomplete. This article is missing one or more sections. You can help the BirdForum Opus by expanding it.

Photo by Jamfaraco.
Photo taken: Lages/SC, Brazil.
This bird likely belongs to subspecies flavirostris.

Anas flavirostris

Includes Andean Teal and Mérida Speckled Teal

[edit] Identification

Two groups of birds occur: black-billed in the northern part of the range while bills are mostly yellow in the southern part².

[edit] Distribution

Andes from Colombia and Venezuela south to Chile, Argentina and the south of Brazil. The southern lowland populations are migratory.

[edit] Taxonomy

Four subspecies are recognized¹: Anas flavirostris altipetens, Anas flavirostris andium, Anas flavirostris oxyptera, and Anas flavirostris flavirostris.

The two black-billed subspecies andium and altipetens has recently been split Andean Teal, Anas andium by the SACC²; these forms occur north of Marañon in Peru. This split is not yet recognized by the major checklists. Restall³ went one step further and split Anas altipetens as Mérida Speckled Teal; this form occurs in northern Colombia and western Venezuela.

[edit] Habitat

Mainly freshwater, in much of the range at high elevation.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] References

1. Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
2. Proposal (#356) to South American Classification Committee
3. Restall et al. 2006. Birds of Northern South America. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300124156

[edit] External Links