One of the smallest ducks in North America at only 14 inches in length, the Green-winged Teal is second only to the Mallard in number of individuals taken by North American duck hunters. Aside from the large green wing patch which gives this species its name, the male Green-winged Teal is characterized by a reddish-brown head, green head patch, gray-brown back, speckled-brown breast and yellow under-tail patches. Females are drab-brown overall with a smaller green wing patch, but may be recognized as teals by their small size. Green-winged Teals are found across the Northern Hemisphere. The North American subspecies (A. crecca carolinensis) breeds from Alaska to eastern Canada and south to the northern tier of the United States. In winter, Green-winged Teals migrate south, and may be found along the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf coasts of the U.S., in the interior in the southern half of the country, and points south. The Eurasian subspecies, (A. crecca crecca) breeds across northern Eurasia, wintering south to North Africa, India, and China. In summer, the Green-winged Teal breeds primarily on ponds in open wooded parkland, but may also breed on bodies of water near prairies or in river deltas. This species may be found more generally in shallow wetlands throughout its winter range. Green-winged Teals consume grasses, aquatic plants, insects, larvae, and crustaceans. Green-winged Teals may be seen either on land or in the water, where they may be observed foraging for food. This species may also be observed undertaking straight, swift flights on migration or between breeding or foraging grounds. Green-winged Teals are most active during the day.

Threat Status: Least concern

Green-winged Teals breed throughout most of Canada, Alaska, Maine, N. Dakota, Minnesota, and Northern Michigan. Their wintering range includes the western United States, Mexico, and the southern United States. Two other subspecies of the Teal, A. c. crecca and A. c. nimia, can be found in Eurasia and the Aleutian Islands.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

Green-winged Teals breed throughout most of Canada, Alaska, Maine, N. Dakota, Minnesota, and Northern Michigan. Their wintering range includes the western United States, Mexico, and the southern United States. Two other subspecies of the Teal, A. c. crecca and A. c. nimia, can be found in Eurasia and the Aleutian Islands.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) Holarctic. BREEDS: north-central Alaska, northwestern and central Canada south to California, northern New Mexico, northern Nebraska, Minnesota, northern Ohio, western New York, Maine, Nova Scotia; Iceland, northern Eurasia, Aleutians south to southern Spain, northern Italy, southern Russia and northwestern China. WINTERS: in North America, mostly in the U.S., regularly to central Mexico and Antilles; also Hawaii; widely in Old World. In the U.S., the highest winter densities occur in western Texas, northern Utah, Kansas, Mississippi-Arkansas, and southeastern North Carolina; except for the latter, these are associated with national wildlife refuges (Root 1988).

The Teal is the smallest dabbling duck in the Americas. Its bill is narrow and black. Teals are sexually dimorphic. Males have a cinnamon colored head with an iridescent green crescent spanning from one eye, around the back of the head, to the other eye. The sides and back are actually marked with tiny black and white stripes, although they appear grey. Their wings and tail are a tannish-brown color, with pale yellow feathers along the side of the tail. Females are entirely tannish-brown, except for their white chin and belly.

Range mass: 318 to 364 g.

Average basal metabolic rate: 1.68388 W.

The Teal is the smallest dabbling duck in the Americas. Its bill is narrow and black. Teals are sexually dimorphic. Males have a cinnamon colored head with an iridescent green crescent spanning from one eye, around the back of the head, to the other eye. The sides and back are actually marked with tiny black and white stripes, although they appear grey. Their wings and tail are a tannish-brown color, with pale yellow feathers along the side of the tail. Females are entirely tannish-brown, except for their white chin and belly.

Range mass: 318 to 364 g.

Average basal metabolic rate: 1.68388 W.

Length: 37 cm

Weight: 364 grams

Teals prefer shallow inland wetlands, beaver ponds, and coastal marshes with heavy vegetation and muddy bottoms. These habitats are often found in deciduous parklands, boreal forests, grasslands, or sedge meadows.

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater

Teals prefer shallow inland wetlands, beaver ponds, and coastal marshes with heavy vegetation and muddy bottoms. These habitats are often found in deciduous parklands, boreal forests, grasslands, or sedge meadows.

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds

Comments: Freshwater ponds, marshes, shallow edges of lakes; also, in migration and winter, shallow salt and brackish water and shores (Godfrey 1966). Nests in prairie pothole country and elsewhere. Usually nests in areas with dense emergent vegetation; on islands, lake edges, sometimes in upland habitat some distance from water. Nest is a depression lined with plant material, down, feathers.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Begins slowly migrating northward in March-April; arrives in Beaufort Sea area late May-early June. Generally departs from northernmost breeding areas August-September. Usually migrates southward in large flocks with first cold fall weather. Rare in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, October-April (Raffaele 1983).

Green-winged Teals feed on almost any plant or animal in high abundance, largely in shallow waters, near the shoreline or in mudflats. Their main foods vary from region to region, depending on what is available, but they consist mainly of marine invertebrates and seeds of marine vegetation. The finely spaced lamallae along the inside of the Teal's bill allow it to retrieve small seeds easily.

Green-winged Teals feed on almost any plant or animal in high abundance, largely in shallow waters, near the shoreline or in mudflats. Their main foods vary from region to region, depending on what is available, but they consist mainly of marine invertebrates and seeds of marine vegetation. The finely spaced lamallae along the inside of the Teal's bill allow it to retrieve small seeds easily.

Comments: Eats aquatic plants; seeds of sedges, smartweeds, pondweeds, and grasses; aquatic insects, mollusks, crustaceans and tadpoles. In fall waste grain. Also eats berries, grapes, acorns. Dabbles in shallow water, also forages on land.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 243 months.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 243 months.

Green-winged Teals begin courtship between September and November. They form monogamous pairs every winter. Paired males attempt forced extra-pair copulation during the mating season, while nonpaired males do not. The nest is built by the female, while the male watches, at the beginning of the egg-laying period. This occurs sometime in May, depending on the weather and temperature. Five or 6 eggs are usually layed. The male then abandons the female, who must incubate and care for the young alone. Incubation lasts for about 23 days, during which time the female spends almost three-fourths of her time on the nest, while the rest is spent in feeding and comfort movements. Once hatched, the Teal ducklings are more sensitive to cold than other duck species, and the mother must protect them from extreme cold through brooding. She also leads them to water and food and protects them from predators by using techniques of distraction.

Range eggs per season: 5 to 6.

Average time to hatching: 23 days.

Average time to hatching: 22 days.

Average eggs per season: 10.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)

Sex: male: 180 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 180 days.

Green-winged Teals begin courtship between September and November. They form monogamous pairs every winter. Paired males attempt forced extra-pair copulation during the mating season, while nonpaired males do not. The nest is built by the female, while the male watches, at the beginning of the egg-laying period. This occurs sometime in May, depending on the weather and temperature. Five or 6 eggs are usually layed. The male then abandons the female, who must incubate and care for the young alone. Incubation lasts for about 23 days, during which time the female spends almost three-fourths of her time on the nest, while the rest is spent in feeding and comfort movements. Once hatched, the Teal ducklings are more sensitive to cold than other duck species, and the mother must protect them from extreme cold through brooding. She also leads them to water and food and protects them from predators by using techniques of distraction.

Range eggs per season: 5 to 6.

Average time to hatching: 23 days.

Average time to hatching: 22 days.

Average eggs per season: 10.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)

Sex: male: 180 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 180 days.

Clutch size is 7-15 (usually 8-9). Incubation, by female, lasts 21-23 days. Males abandon females early in incubation. Nestlings are precocial, tended by female, become independent in about 23 days.

Green-winged Teals are the second most commonly hunted duck in North America, following Mallards. In addition, there has been a decline in their wintering habitat. In spite of these two setbacks, however, Teal populations are increasing. This is likely due to the inaccessibility to humans of their breeding habitat, which is deep in the wilderness of northern Canada. The wetlands that they inhabit in the winter are being managed, but more for waterfowl in general than for the Green-winged Teal.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

US Migratory Bird Act: protected

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

Green-winged Teals are the second most commonly hunted duck in North America, following Mallards. In addition, there has been a decline in their wintering habitat. In spite of these two setbacks, however, Teal populations are increasing. This is likely due to the inaccessibility to humans of their breeding habitat, which is deep in the wilderness of northern Canada. The wetlands that they inhabit in the winter are being managed, but more for waterfowl in general than for the Green-winged Teal.

US Migratory Bird Act: protected

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Regular passage visitor and winter visitor.

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Green-winged Teals are hunted for sport. In 1989, approximately 200,000 were harvested in Canada alone.

Green-winged Teals are hunted for sport. In 1989, approximately 200,000 were harvested in Canada alone.

Comments: Livezey's (1991) phylogenetic analysis and classification (supergenera, subgenera, infragenera, etc.) of dabbling ducks (based on comparative morphology) listed A. crecca and A. carolinensis as separate species. Zink et al. (1995), however, found no evidence of genetic differentiation between populations in Asian and North American sides of Beringia. The American Ornithologists' Union (1998 and subsequent supplements in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004) accordingly has treated A. crecca and A. carolinensis as conspecific. In contrasts, in a phylogeny of dabbling ducks, Johnson and Sorenson (1999) presented evidence that A. crecca and A. carolinensis are separate species, and the British Ornithological Union (2001) subsequently recognized them as such.