Wednesday 30 October 2024

Wild Bird Wednesday 640 - Eurasian Teal

The Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca) or just Teal to me in the UK is another duck that is a scarce breeder in the UK - about 1,400 pairs - but an abundant winter visitor when 210,000 individuals may be present in the UK.

These ducks are small enough to be mistaken for waders in flight, and the twisting and turning flight of their flocks adds to this appearance.  When they take flight they leap nearly vertically into the air, and I like to think this is where the collective noun for a group of teal - a spring - originates.

The smallest of these birds is only just over half the size of a Mallard, but they really are a great looking bird.

The taxonomy of this species is rather fluid, with the closely related Green Winged Teal from America sometimes being considered the same species, and sometimes not.  This article suggests that these two type of birds are about to be (re) lumped as a single species after being separated in the past.

These picture were taken in flooded winter pastures at Catcott Reserve on the Somerset Levels in the UK.

(Once again I have failed to take any decent pictures of the females that were there - I really must address this!)







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5 comments:

  1. That is a California scrub Jay that I photographed in Marin, California a while back. Thank you for hosting us!

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  2. Hari Om
    It's exquisite... but yes, the females have their own sartorial elegance! YAM xx

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  3. It is a very handsome little duck. Who knew you were such a chauvinist!

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  4. The colours and detail are gorgeous!

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