Green Winged Teal
Green Winged Teal
Anas carolinensis
Anas carolinensis
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Population, Conservation Status, Threats:
Green winged teal are considered least concern by the IUCN. Threats include climate change restricting their habitat to the northern parts of their range.
Physical Description:
Males have a gray-brown body, with a red head and green stripe across the eye, and a black bill. In flight, both sexes have eye-catching green patches on their wings, females are otherwise a nondescript mottled brown.
Overall green winged teal range from audobon.org. They are considered common to see in all seasons in Colorado from the Front Range and west, and are seen in the plains only during the winter.
Habitat:
Prefer wooded ponds and wetlands, including beaver ponds. Will also visit mudflats and saltwater estuaries.
Behavior:
Green wing teals seasonally migrate great distances, from Canada and Alaska as far south as Central America. They spend their winters in the southern parts of their range, while they occupy the northern parts of their range in the breeding season.
Diet:
They are opportunistic feeders, and often feed by dabbling - skimming their beaks through mud or disturbed water to filter food out. Their diet varies seasonally, but includes grass seeds, tender vegetation, and aquatic invertebrates.
Reproduction:
Mated pairs stay together throughout the breeding season, but separate afterwards. Males perform displays to win over females. After mating, females lay 10-12 eggs. The young hatch in about 3 weeks, and fledge 5 weeks later.
Associated Species:
Green winged teal share a range with the similar-looking American wigeon, and are often mistaken for them. They predate upon small aquatic invertebrates, including crayfish and molluscs.
Illustration by Willow Sedam
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