| Silver Teal | |
|---|---|
| A male in Brazil | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Family: | Anatidae |
| Subfamily: | Anatinae |
| Genus: | Anas |
| Species: | A. versicolor |
| Binomial name | |
| Anas versicolor Vieillot, 1816 |
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| Subspecies | |
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The Silver Teal or Versicolor Teal (Anas versicolor) is a species of dabbling duck in the genus Anas. 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. 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.
The Silver Teal's range includes southern Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands,[1] and the Falkland Islands.[2] 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.
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.[3]
The Puna Teal was previously regarded as a subspecies of this bird. Currently, there are two subspecies: