Scientific name: Anas querquedula Linnaeus, 1758
Bird group: Ducks
Field characters. 37-41 cm. Only a little larger than Common Teal but with more slender neck, flatter crown, and more straight bill. Male in flight shows pale blue forewing and sharp demarcation of brown breast from vermiculated greyish flanks and white belly. Adult male with broad white stripe extending from eye to nape; long, curved, scapulars striped grey, dark green, black, and white; speculum glossy dark green, bordered with white in front and behind. Female resembles female Teal but paler, with whiter throat, more distinct dark eye stripe, light supercilium, and pale spot at bill base; in flight with greyish forewing and indistinct greenish-brown speculum. Bill and legs grey. Male in eclipse like female except for blue forewing and whiter throat and belly. Juveniles also like females, but wing of juvenile male duller than adult.
Voice. Male has a characteristic low, crackling call and female a short 'quack'.
Distribution. Not common and considerable fluctuations in local breeding areas. Winters in Africa, south of the Sahara.
Habitat. In all seasons, prefers shallow standing fresh waters, reedy lakes, swampy pools, floodlands, and other shallow waters with rich floating and emergent vegetation.
Food. Feeds on animal (waterbugs, caddisflies, midges, molluscs, crustaceans, annelids and tadpoles) and plant material (buds, leaves, roots, tubers, and seeds of aquatic plants) mainly while swimming with head under water.
Eggs. Unmarked; ground colour light straw colour/light brown. Texture smooth, not glossy. Shape subelliptical/short subelliptical. Size 46 x 33 mm (40-50 x 30-36), weight 28 g (26-29). Closely similar to those of Common Teal.