Birds and Birding's Guide to:

Watching THE GOOSE-LIKE BIRDS

THE SWANS, GEESE, DUCKS, AND MERGANSERS

Teal

Quite different, at least as regards size, are the Teal, of which some fifteen species are recognized. Of these the Green-winged Teal (A. carolinensis) may be described as a bird between twelve and fifteen inches in length, the adult male with the head and upper neck chestnut, a broad metallic green patch back of the eye, and the speculum bright metallic green, while the lower parts are waved with black and white. This bird, probably the most abundant of our smaller Ducks, is found throughout North America, breeding mainly north of the United States, and migrating in winter south to the Gulf States, Honduras, and Cuba.

The nest is placed on the ground usually among grasses by which it is partially concealed, and is simply an accumulation of grasses and weeds, though often lined with down. The eggs are from six to twelve, clear ivory white in color.

The Common European Teal (.4. crecca), which may be known from this by the absence of the white bar on the side of the breast, is found throughout Europe and northern Asia and occasionally in eastern North America. The Blue-winged Teal (A. discors), with a bronzy greenish speculum, is found in North America chiefly east of the Rocky Mountains, while the Cinnamon Teal (A. cyanoplera) ranges from the Columbia River to Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands.

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