Green-Winged Teal

The name “teal” possibly originated from medieval English word “tele” or the old Dutch word teling both of which translate to small and referred to the diminutive Green-Winged Teal (Anas Crecca). Drakes are renowned for their penetrating, high-pitched, musical whistles, and the specific name is a Latinized onomatopoeic term imitating the creak note. Tiny, compact ducks, females can weight about 6.6 ounces, making them the smallest of North American dabblers. Both sexes have a brilliant, iridescent, green speculums. The rich dark-chestnut head of the resplendent drakes is embellished by broad, iridescent bottle-green bands behind the eyes, that are bordered with yellow. Habitually walking great distances overland in quest of food, the teal may gorge themselves on salmon eggs, as well as rotting salmon carcasses in spawning streams. The ducks loaf for much of the day ashore or in dense groups on open water, and perching on dead trees and branches. Autumn migrants commonly linger along the way, but the first snow and ice prompts the main flights to wing south in October and November. Even so, American teal may remains as far north as Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in mild winters. At home on any type of wetlands except those that are deep, lifeless, fast-running, exposed or wave-troubled, Green-Winged Teal (Anas Crecca) are attracted to small bodies of water. Pairs commonly nest in roadside puddles, meandering weed-choked creeks, muskeg sloughs and beaver ponds. Their well-concealed nests can be exceedingly difficult to locate. Producing fairly large clutches for such small ducks, females lay up to 16 eggs, but the incubation period of 21-23 days is quite short. Pair bonds dissolve when drakes desert their mates during the incubation, and some males undertake lengthy molt migrations of up to a thousand miles. Young in the far fledge in less than 30 days, but six weeks may be required in southern locales.