Puna Teal vs Silver Teal

Puna Teal

Spatula puna

Large595 gWetland

The Puna teal is larger than its closely related species, the silver teal (Spatula versicolor). It measures about 48 cm (19 in) long, similar in size to a wood duck. Males typically weigh between 546 to 560 g and have a wingspan of 215-235 mm. Their bill is 47-53 mm long, compared to 37-41 mm in S. versicolor. Puna teal is easily recognized by its distinctive head and bill patterns. Adult males have a blackish-brown cap that extends below the eyes. They have a creamy white lower face and neck, a coffee-colored back, chest, and flank, and a dark brown rear flank. Voice: The calls of Puna teal differs from those of silver teal. Its "decrescendo" call is shorter, consisting of only 4-5 weaker notes. Other reported vocalizations include a low, chatting sound ("hueer, pt pt pt..."), a mechanical, rising trill ("trrrrr" or "dr-r-r"), and a low alarm call ("whr" or "errr").

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Hugo Hulsberg · CC0

Silver Teal

Spatula versicolor

Large595 gWetland

They have a black cap that extends below the eyes, and a bluish bill with a yellow tip. They also have a green speculum with a white border. The female's plumage is slightly duller and has less yellow at the base of the beak. The Puna teal was previously regarded as a subspecies of this bird. Currently, there are two subspecies: S. versicolor versicolor northern silver teal located in Paraguay, southern Bolivia, and southern Brazil. S. versicolor fretensis southern silver teal located in southern Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Sebastián Fornés · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Puna Teal and Silver Teal.