Teals

Nesting / Breeding:

Teals usually nest near favored freshwater lakes and marshes, usually on the ground, but also in tree holes or rabbit burrows.

Teal Species:

Auckland Islands Teal, Anas aucklandica
Baikal Teal, Anas formosa
Bernier’s Teal or Madagascar Teal, Anas bernier
Black Teal aka New Zealand Scaup, Aythya novaeseelandiae
Blue-winged Teal, Anas discors
Brown Teal or New Zealand Teal, Anas chlorotis
Campbell Island Teal Anas nesiotis
Cape Teal, Anas capensis
Chestnut Teal, Anas castanea
Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptera
Common Teal, Anas crecca
Green-winged Teal, Anas carolinensis
Grey Teal, Anas gracilis
Hottentot Teal, Anas hottentota
Marbled Teal, Marmaronetta angustirostris
Puna Teal, Anas puna
Ringed Teal, Callonetta leucophrys
Silver Teal, Anas versicolor
Speckled Teal, Anas flavirostris

Diet / Feeding:

Teals usually feed by dabbling, upending (feeding upside down in water) or grazing on land. They may submerge the head and on occasion even dive to reach food. In the breeding season, they eat mainly aquatic invertebrates, such as crustaceans, insects and their larvae, mollusks and worms.

In winter, they shift to a largely granivorous diet, feeding on seeds of aquatic plants and grasses, including sedges and grains.

Diurnal throughout the breeding season, in winter they are often crepuscular or even nocturnal feeders.