Green-winged Teal

How to identify

Field marks

1. Male in breeding plumage has a chestnut head with a green patch around the eye
2. Male in breeding plumage has a vertical white stripe on the side of the breast
3. Male in breeding plumage has a green speculum edged with white
4. Male in breeding plumage has gray markings on the flanks and back, and pale yellow below the tail

Male, female and young

Female pale brown, with plumage much like a female Mallard; male in non-breeding plumage resembles the female, but is slightly darker and duller.

Voice

Male gives a clear, whistle-like call; female gives faint quacking calls.

Similar species

Eurasian Teal

Male in breeding plumage has a vertical white stripe on the side of the breast, without a horizontal white stripe along the scapulars; the fine buff line separating green and brown on the head is finer or absent.

Where and when it's recorded

No records at the public birding hotspots we track. It may be rare, remote, or its locations protected.

About

The green-winged teal (Anas carolinensis) or American teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands. It was considered conspecific with the Eurasian teal (A. crecca) for some time, but the two have since been split into separate species. The American Ornithological Society continues to debate this determination; however, nearly all other authorities consider it distinct based on behavioral, morphological, and molecular evidence.

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Questions