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Green-winged Teal

Anas crecca ORDER: ANSERIFORMES FAMILY: ANATIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

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Green-winged Teal Photo

© William L. Newton / CLO

A very small, brightly patterned duck, the Green-winged Teal prefers shallow ponds with lots of emergent vegetation. Along the coast, it prefers tidal creeks, mudflats, and marshes to more open water.

Birds of North America Online
For complete information on this species, visit The Birds of North America Online.

At a GlanceHelp

Measurements
Both Sexes
Length
12.2–15.4 in
31–39 cm
Wingspan
20.5–23.2 in
52–59 cm
Weight
4.9–17.6 oz
140–500 g
Other Names
  • Teal, Common Teal (British English)
  • Sarcell d'hiver (French)
  • Cerceta común (Spanish)

Cool Facts

  • The American and Eurasian forms of the Green-winged Teal were formerly considered different species. The Eurasian teal differ from the American by lacking the vertical white shoulder stripe and having a horizontal white stripe along the back instead. Eurasian teal show up casually each year along both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

Habitat


Marsh
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Food


Seeds
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Nesting

Nesting Facts
Condition at Hatching
Covered in down and able to leave the nest soon after hatching.
Nest Placement

Ground
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Behavior


Dabbler
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Conservation

status via IUCN

Least Concern
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Credits

    1. Bellrose, F. C. 1976. Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA.
    2. Johnson, K. 1995. Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca). In The Birds of North America, No. 193 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
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Range Map Help

Green-winged Teal Range Map
View dynamic map of eBird sightings
Project FeederWatch