Common Teal (Anas crecca)

OTHER NAMES: Teal, Eurasian Teal

Latin Etymology: Anas ("duck") crecca (from Swedish name "Kricka" for species)

Adult male Common Teal (subspecies  A. c. crecca) at Rutland Water, Rutland - March 2022

Featured Subspecies: Anas crecca crecca
Weight: 320-340g  /  Length: 20-30cm  /  Wingspan: 53-59cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Teal is one of the comparatively more common ducks, at least as far as suitable habitat is available. It can frequently be seem at the waters edge feeding in the mud. This makes it relatively easy to photograph if the shoreline is relatively close to wherever you are viewing them from which helps, given that they are very small for a duck and thus you need to be slightly closer.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Anas
Subspecies: A. c. crecca, A. c. nimia

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Uncommon breeding species (1,600-2,800 pairs) and locally common Wintering species (220,000 pairs)

 - Seen in Winter at sites including Rutland Water, Oare Marshes, Elmley Marshes, Pitsford Reservoir and Eyebrook Reservoir. 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto