Fauna Flora Photography

Green Winged Teal Anas carolinensis

Green winged teal is a common duck, the smallest dabbling duck of North America and stays during summer in the more Northern areas of Canada. It is a strongly migratory bird, wintering in Southern USA and Mexico.

Specs

Length38-41cm
Weight450-500g ♂, 400-450g ♀
Wingspan56-61cm

Common Names

GermanAmerikanische Krickente
EnglishGreen Winged Teal
FrenchSarcelle à ailes vertes
SpanishCerceta americana

Taxonomy

OrderAnseriformes
FamilyAnatidae
SpeciesAnas carolinensis

How to Identify

Although smaller than other similar ducks, size can be misleading when you are not able to compare sizes in the field. I look for males. They have a brown head with a clearly visible green eye patch. Females are more difficult to identify. A hint is the green color patch on the inner wings which you can see if the bird flies or spreads its wings.

Green Winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) - Parc Nature Pointe aux Prairies - 2017-10-28

Where and When to Spot

I observed two females or juveniles on a pond in Newfoundland but I haven’t saved that location as the it was my first sighting and I was not 100% sure about the id. The second time, I observed a flock of green winged teal on a pond in Park Pointe-aux-Prairies. This time no doubt about the id.


Last updated on 2023-12-19. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.