Red-Billed Teal - Profile | Traits | Facts | Call | Diet

The red-billed teal or red-billed duck, scientific name Anas erythrorhyncha is a dabbling duck that is a plentiful resident breeder in southern and eastern Africa usually south of 10° S.

Red-billed teal Profile

The Red-billed Teal, typically often called Red-billed Pintail, is a non-migratory, African species. They could be present in recent water lakes, ponds, and streams of their homeland.

They observe water, as ranges fluctuate within the African seasons. This means traveling appreciable distances within the quest for water.

It is a small duck with whitish cheeks, a conspicuous chocolate brown cap, and a pinkish-red bill the place it acquired its name.

This bird prefers foraging in freshwater our bodies, with plant matter and seeds forming the majority of its diet. During its flight, light brownish yellow wings stand out opposing its all-brown toned wings.

The Head has a darkish brown crown, from brow to nape, contrasting with pale buff cheeks. Bill is pinkish-red, with a black line in the midst of the higher mandible, and darkish brown nail. Eyes are darkish brown. Legs and webbed feet are blackish.

Female is barely smaller than male and with the duller bill.

Juvenile resembles adults, with the duller bill, and streaked chest as a substitute mottled.

This duck shouldn’t be migratory, however will fly great distances to seek out appropriate waters. It is extremely gregarious outside the breeding season and kinds of massive flocks.

Red-billed Teal is often thought of to be carefully associated with the White-cheeked (Bahama) Pintail A. bahamensis.

Red-billed Teals primarily feed on aquatic vegetation and invertebrates, often foraging in pairs or in a small flock at night. They feed by dipping and dabbling their head under the water floor, and up-ending their whole body to achieve deeper meal objects. When it does, solely the tail and vent could be seen above the water floor.

These geese are extremely gregarious and can mixture in massive flocks consisting of hundreds of birds at their favored sites in direction of the moist season’s climax.

While it’s sedentary, it might carry out dispersion because of modifications in water ranges.

Red-billed Teals breeds in the course of the summer months, although, might fluctuate relying once more on water ranges. Typically, the breeding interval begins after the wet season.

Pairs can final a long time, however hardly ever. The nest is constructed on shallow despair and lined with grass, hidden amongst dense vegetation close to water.

The feminine will lay a clutch of 5 to 12 eggs, which she is going to incubate for about 25 to twenty-eight days. The male will typically assist the feminine guard of the broods. Chicks will fledge about two months after hatching.

Red-billed Teals are common and widespread all through their range. They are one of many bird species under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA). These birds are evaluated as Least Concern (LC) under the IUCN Red List.

Female lays between 5 and 12 eggs, and the incubation lasts about 25 to twenty-eight days. Young fledge two months later.

Range

Red-billed Teal lives in eastern and southern Africa, with some dispersion to Angola’s coasts.

Red-billed teal Description

The red-billed teal is 43–48 centimeters (17–19 in) long and has a blackish cap and nape, contrasting pale face, and vibrant red bill. The body plumage is a dull darkish brown scalloped with white.

Flight reveals that the secondary flight feathers are buff with a black stripe throughout them. The sexes are related, however, juveniles are duller than adults.

This species is monomorphic, which means each sex looks the same. They are greyish, with flank feathers displaying light brown lacing.

They are named for his or her uniquely colored bill, which is vibrant red, with a darkish stripe down the center. They even have a really distinguished white patch on the cheek.

Red-billed Teal has darkish brown upper parts, with scaled impact because of pale buff feathers’ edges. Seen in flight, secondaries are pale buff-orange, and we will additionally see a pale speculum or a wing patch.

Underparts are brown, paler than upperparts, with broad white fringes. Underwings are darkish grey-brown, with a paler trailing edge.

Red-billed Teals have darkish brown upperparts, accentuated by a scaly impact because of their uninteresting buff feather borders. Its light brownish yellow to orange secondary feathers stand out when it’s in flight, whereas a subtle-toned wing speculum or wing patch can be noticed.

The birds’ underparts are brown however duller in comparison with the upperparts, with huge whitish fringes. Underwings are murky gray-brown, with lighter rear edges.

Head has a chocolate brown cap, from the brow all the way down to nape, contrasting its whitish to uninteresting buff cheeks. Their bill is of a pinkish-red tone with a black stripe in its center. Legs and webbed feet are additionally black whereas the eyes are darkish brown.

Red-billed Teals are monomorphic, which suggests each sex look related. However, females are comparatively smaller than males and with a paler bill. Offsprings additionally appear like the adults, however with a streaked chest slightly than mottled, and a lighter bill.

Behavior

This is a quiet species, but the displaying male has a whzzt call, whereas the feminine has a soft mallard-like quack.

Red-billed teal Habitat

The red-billed teal is a bird of freshwater habitats in a pretty open nation and is an omnivore. It feeds by dabbling for plant meals or foraging on land mainly within the night or at night. It nests on the ground in dense vegetation close to water.

Red-billed Teals thrive in freshwater wetlands, lakes, streams, ponds with shallow water, and emergent vegetation. They are non-migratory however will observe water ranges because it fluctuates throughout totally different African seasons. That means they will travel great distances in the hunt for preferable habitat.

Red-billed Teal often feeds in pairs or in small teams. They feed by dabbling and dipping the head under the water and up-ending the body into the water to achieve deeper meals.

At this time, we solely can see the tail and vent above the floor. It additionally frequents mudflats, and feeds at night within the fields.

These geese collect in massive flocks of a number of hundreds of birds at most well-liked sites in direction of the end of the moist season.
It is a sedentary species in a number of areas, however, it might carry out some dispersion and nomadism.

Red-billed Teal performs speedy flight.

Voice

Red-billed Teal is comparatively silent, however throughout courtship shows, the male utters a soft, nasal whistle “ouizzt”, and feminine offers series of quacks, reducing in pitch.

Red-billed teal Breeding

Red-billed Teal breeds primarily in the summertime months, however, the season might fluctuate, in accordance with the water level. Usually, breeding begins after the primary rain season.

Pair bonds can final for a long time, however not at all times. Male typically helps feminine to protect the chicks.

Nest is on the ground, hid among the many dense waterside vegetation. Nest despair is lined with grass.

Red-billed Teal is available in captivity. As with different dabblers, they are going to nest readily in vegetation or make the most of nest packing containers.

The clutch size is 5-10 eggs and the duck incubates for 25-28 days. Although the duck takes care of her clutch, typically the drake hangs around because the family grows.

Conservation

This is, without doubt, one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

Red-Billed Teal – Profile | Traits | Facts | Call | Diet | Breeding