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WetlandPlatform nestMedium · 276 g
ID tip
Adult males have dark brown crown contrasting with paler face, throat, breast and side except for a blackish thumb-shaped patch on the ear region. The back of the neck is spotted with black and this spotting extends down through the neck and become intensively spotted on the breast, the spots appear to be larger and less obvious on the light brown flanks and abdomen, and the posterior underparts and under tail coverts becoming vermiculated with black. The scapulars and tail are dark brown to black, the upper wing surface is blackish as well, with the coverts giving a greenish gloss.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the Blue-billed Teal
One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.
Where to see the Blue-billed Teal
The map shades 20 countries with regular records, and 8 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
Recorded as a rare visitor in Germany, United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, France, Nigeria, United States, Switzerland.
About the Blue-billed Teal
The blue-billed teal, also sometimes called spotted teal and formerly Hottentot teal, is a species of dabbling duck of the genus Spatula. It is resident in eastern, southern, and western Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia west to Niger and Nigeria, and south to South Africa and Namibia, and also in Madagascar. It is generally sedentary, but shows nomadic behaviour in response to water requirements, moving away if drought causes wetlands to dry out.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
Puna TealSpatula punaThe Puna teal is larger than its closely related species, the silver teal (Spatula versicolor).
Red ShovelerSpatula plataleaThe species has a spatula-shaped bill, a green speculum, and light blue upper wing converts.
Silver TealSpatula versicolorThey have a black cap that extends below the eyes, and a bluish bill with a yellow tip.
Side by side: Blue-billed Teal vs Silver Teal · Blue-billed Teal vs Red Shoveler · Blue-billed Teal vs Radjah Shelduck · Blue-billed Teal vs Puna Teal
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