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Green-winged Teal Identification

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The Four Keys to ID

  • Size & Shape

    Green-winged Teal are very small ducks. They have short, blocky bodies and their tails sit high out of the water. The head is large, the neck is short, and the bill is relatively small.

    Relative Size

    A very small duck: much smaller than a Mallard; slightly larger than an Eared Grebe. About the size of a Pied-billed Grebe.

    Relative Sizecrow sizedcrow-sized

    Measurements
    • Both Sexes
      • Length: 12.2-15.3 in (31-39 cm)
      • Weight: 4.9-17.6 oz (140-500 g)
      • Wingspan: 20.5-23.2 in (52-59 cm)

Regional Differences

In Europe and Asia, a form of the Green-winged Teal (often called Common Teal) lacks the male’s white vertical stripe on the breast and instead shows a white horizontal stripe on the shoulder. Another subspecies from the Aleutian Islands shares these markings with “Common” Teal.