DUCKS, GEESE

Green-winged Teal, Anas crecca

Family Anatidae (Ducks, Geese)

Size: 14"

Season: Winter

Habitat: Marshes, ponds

The Green-winged Teal is a cute, very small, active duck with a small, thin bill. The breeding male is silvery gray, with a dotted tawny breast patch, a pale yellow hip patch, and a distinct vertical white bar on its side. The head is rusty brown, with an iridescent green patch around and behind the eye. Females and nonbreeding males are mottled brown with dark eye-lines and white belly. Green-winged Teals dabble in the shallows for plant material and small invertebrates. They are quick and agile in flight, and sport a bright green speculum. They form very large winter flocks. The breeding female (top) and breeding male (bottom) are illustrated.