Ringed Teal vs Steller's Eider

Ringed Teal

Callonetta leucophrys

Large363 gWetland

The ringed teal is 35–38 cm (14–15 in) long, with a 70 cm (28 in) wingspan, and a weight of 190–360 g (6.7–12.7 oz). The drake has a rich chestnut back, pale grey flanks, and a salmon-coloured breast speckled in black. A black band runs from the top of its head down to the nape. Females have an olive-brownish back, a head blotched and striated in white, and pencilled barring on a pale chest and belly. Both males and females have a dark tail, a contrasting pale rump, and a distinctive white patch on the wing. The bill is grey and legs and feet are pink in both sexes. Pairs easily bond.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Lee Karney/U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Public domain

Steller's Eider

Polysticta stelleri

Large807 gMarine

Steller's eider is the smallest of the four eiders, with both females and males weighing 860 g (30 oz) on average. They have a compact body with a relatively large head with a flat crown and an angled nape, and a long, thick bill; the tail is relatively longer than other eiders. The males assume their breeding plumage from early winter to midsummer with a black cap, chin, collar, eye-ring, and rump, with a white head and shoulders, light green patches behind the head and in front of the eye, and the cinnamon breast and shoulders marked with a prominent black spot.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Venke Ivarrud · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Ringed Teal and Steller's Eider.