From Opus

Callonetta leucophrys

Photo by Fernando

Identification

Male has a rich chestnut back, pale grey flanks and a salmon coloured breast speckled in black. A black band runs from the top of its head down to the nape. Females have an olive-brownish back with the head blotched and striated in white, with pencilled barring on a pale chest and belly. Both have a dark tail, a contrasting pale rump, and a distinctive white patch on the wing. Bills are grey and legs and feet are pink in both sexes.

Distribution

North-west Argentina and Paraguay, also occurring in Bolivia, Brazil and Uruguay.

Taxonomy

Habitat

Tropical, swampy forests and marshy clearings in well-wooded lowlands, as well as secluded pools and small streams.

Behaviour

They nest in cavities and 5 to 12 whitish eggs are laid; incubation takes from 23 to 26 days.

External Links

• View more images of Ringed Teal in the gallery