Facts about Eurasian Teal
- 09
Female Eurasian Teal exhibit cryptic brown plumage that provides effective camouflage while nesting, contrasting sharply with the brightly colored males during breeding season.
- 08
Flocking behavior in Eurasian Teal intensifies during spring migration, with some aggregations exceeding 10,000 individuals gathering on staging lakes before departing for northern breeding grounds.
- 07
Green metallic plumage on the head and neck of breeding male Eurasian Teal creates a distinctive iridescent appearance that shifts from emerald to bronze depending on light angle.
- 06
Eighty percent of Eurasian Teal breeding pairs form monogamous bonds lasting only a single season, with males abandoning females after egg-laying to molt in large aggregations.
- 05
In winter, Eurasian Teal dabble in shallow freshwater lakes and coastal estuaries where water depths rarely exceed 60 centimeters, allowing them to feed on submerged vegetation and invertebrates.
- 04
Clutches of Eurasian Teal typically contain 8 to 10 eggs, which the female incubates alone for approximately 21 to 23 days before hatching.
- 03
Rapid head-turning displays during courtship allow male Eurasian Teal to produce distinctive whistling calls that attract females across breeding wetlands.
- 02
Throughout Eurasia, Eurasian Teal populations breed across wetlands from Iceland to eastern Siberia, migrating southward to overwinter in Africa, southern Asia, and the Mediterranean basin.
- 01
Males of this dabbling duck species weigh approximately 340 grams, making them notably smaller than most other Anas species.