Silver teal | |
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A male in Brazil | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Anseriformes |
Family: | Anatidae |
Genus: | Spatula |
Species: | S. versicolor
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Binomial name | |
Spatula versicolor (
Vieillot, 1816)
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Subspecies | |
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Synonyms | |
Anas versicolor Vieillot, 1816 |
The silver teal or versicolor teal (Spatula versicolor) is a species of dabbling duck in the genus Spatula. It breeds in South America.
Between April and June they prefer reed beds and will lay 6 to 10 creamy-pink eggs. As with swans and geese, both parents will rear the ducklings. [2] A pair may bond long term. It lives on fresh water in small groups, and feeds primarily on vegetable matter such as seeds and aquatic plants. [3][ citation needed] [4]
The silver teal's range includes southern Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, [1] and the Falkland Islands. [5] The southernmost birds migrate to southern Brazil in the winter.
Silver teals are on the whole placid ducks but may be protective of eggs, young and females. [2]
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. [6]
The Puna teal was previously regarded as a subspecies of this bird. Currently, there are two subspecies: