Green-winged teals vary in appearance depending on sex. Males have a chestnut head with a green, crescent-shaped patch running through the eye to the back of the head. Females are mottled brown all over. (opusbloo/Flickr)
The green-winged teal is a small dabbling duck with iridescent green patches on its head and wings. It lives in tidal marshes and wetlands throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers from autumn through spring.
Appearance:
Males and females have different patterns and coloring
Males have a chestnut head with a green, crescent-shaped patch running through the eye to the back of the head. Their body is mostly gray, and they have a yellowish tail and a white vertical line in front of the wings.
Females are mottled brown all over
Both sexes have green wing patches (called specula) with white borders
Grows to 14.5 inches with a wingspan of 24 inches
Habitat:
Found on large tidal marshes and wetlands and nearby shallow waters
Range:
Visits the Chesapeake Bay region beginning in autumn
Leaves in late winter to migrate back to its northern breeding grounds
Feeding:
Eats mainly seeds from bay grasses and aquatic plants
Will also eat small invertebrates
Feeds at the water’s surface or by “tipping up” its tail and submerging its head to reach food underwater
Predators:
Humans are the green-winged teal’s greatest predator
Skunks, raccoons and red foxes prey upon young and eggs
Can dive underwater to escape predators
Flight:
Takes off by flying straight up from the water
Can be identified in flight by its iridescent green wing patches with white borders
Voice:
Males whistle
Females quack
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Does not nest and breed in the Bay region
Nests throughout most of Canada, Alaska and the northern Midwestern United States
Other Facts:
Also known as the common teal
The smallest species of dabbling duck
Gets its name from its iridescent green wing patches
The second most commonly hunted duck in the U.S., after mallards
