Ducks, geese, and swans · Waterfowl
Green-winged Teal
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Anas crecca
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Voice
Call
Call
Call
How to recognize it
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Much smaller than a mallard
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Breeding male: chestnut head, green patch through the eye with a thin pale border
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Fast, nearly silent flight; takes off almost vertically
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Two-tone wing patch: black on the outside, green on the inside
About the species
In breeding season, the male Green-winged Teal looks grey at a distance, with a chestnut head and a glossy green crescent sweeping back from the eye. A fine pale border traces the patch, and a light stripe runs along the folded wing. His spotted breast and yellow patches beside the black tail add smaller flashes of color. Females are mottled brown, with a pale underside and darker streaking on the head.
Outside the breeding season, they gather in flocks, sometimes large ones, and their groups twist quickly through the air. On the water, they feed by dabbling and tipping forward to reach food below. The male gives a clear, far-carrying "creelycc" whistle, while the female makes a quieter, nasal quack.
They breed around shallow freshwater ponds, marshes, and other sheltered wetlands with vegetation, then most move south for winter. In colder months they use wetlands and sheltered coastal inlets, feeding mainly on seeds of aquatic plants and grasses; during the breeding season, insects, crustaceans, worms, and other small aquatic invertebrates make up much of the diet.
Where to find
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During the breeding season, at small freshwater lakes and ponds with overgrown shores, look for Green-winged Teal dabbling in the shallows for food on the bottom.
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In winter, scan sheltered coastal inlets and lagoons for flocks on brackish water.
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Outside the breeding season, check flooded fields and reservoirs for flocks feeding in shallow water and on muddy flats.
