Eurasian teal

The Eurasian teal belongs to the "true" teals, a group of small Anas dabbling ducks closely related to the mallard (A. platyrhynchos) and its relatives; that latter group in fact seems to have evolved from a true teal. It forms a superspecies with the green-winged teal and the speckled teal (A. flavirostris). A formerly proposed subspecies, A. c. nimia, from the Aleutian Islands, differs only in slightly larger size; it is no longer considered distinct. The specific name of Linnaeus is thus onomatopoetic, the "duck that says cryc"; the common names in Norwegian krikkand, Danish krikand and German Krickente mean the same, referring to the male's characteristic call which was already discussed by Linnaeus' sources. Common Teal (Anas crecca) near Hodal, Haryana W IMG 6512.jpg|A. crecca drake in breeding plumage, showing horizontal white stripe from shoulder Anas_carolinensis_(Green-winged_Teal)_male.jpg|A. carolinensis (A. crecca carolinensis) drake in breeding plumage, showing vertical white stripe from shoulder Eurasian teal (Anas crecca) Photograph by Shantanu Kuveskar.jpg|Wintering male from Maharashtra, India ==Description==

its name. The Eurasian teal is one of the smallest extant dabbling ducks at length and with an average weight of in drake (males) and in hens (females). The wings are long, yielding a wingspan of . The bill measures in length, and the tarsus . This is a noisy species. The male whistles cryc or creelycc, not loud but very clear and far-carrying. The female has a feeble keh or neeh quack.  Males in breeding plumage are distinguished from green-winged teal by the horizontal white scapular stripe, the lack of a vertical white bar on the breast sides, and the more conspicuous light outlines on the face patch, which are indistinct in the green-winged teal drake. Males in eclipse plumage, females and immatures are best recognised by their small size, calls, and the speculum; they are hard to tell apart from the green-winged teal however. ==Distribution and habitat==

, Burdwan District of West Bengal (India) The Eurasian teal breeds across the Palearctic and mostly winters well south of its breeding range. However, in the milder climate of temperate Europe, the summer and winter ranges overlap. For example, in the United Kingdom and Ireland a small summer population breeds, but far greater numbers of Siberian birds arrive in winter. In the Caucasus region, western Asia Minor, along the northern shores of the Black Sea, and even on the south coast of Iceland and on the Vestmannaeyjar, the species can be encountered all year, too. Altogether, the Eurasian teal is much less common than its American counterpart, though still very plentiful. Its numbers are mainly assessed by counts of wintering birds; some 750,000 are recorded annually around the Mediterranean and Black Seas, 250,000 in temperate western Europe, and more than 110,000 in Japan. In 1990 and 1991, a more detailed census was undertaken, yielding over 287,000 birds wintering in Iran, some 109,000 in Pakistan, some 37,000 in India, 28,000 in Israel, over 14,000 in Turkmenistan and almost 12,000 in Taiwan. It appears to be holding its own currently, with its slow decline of maybe 1–2% annually in the 1990s, presumably mainly due to drainage and pollution of wetlands, not warranting action other than continuing to monitor the population and possibly providing better protection for habitat on the wintering grounds. The IUCN and BirdLife International classify the Eurasian teal as a species of Least Concern, unchanged from their assessment before the split of the more numerous A. carolinensis. The Eurasian teal is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. ==Behaviour==

This dabbling duck is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and will form large flocks. In flight, the fast, twisting flocks resemble waders; despite its short legs, it is also rather nimble on the ground by ducks' standards. In the breeding season, it is a common inhabitant of sheltered freshwater wetlands with some tall vegetation, such as taiga bogs or small lakes and ponds with extensive reedbeds. In winter, it is often seen in brackish waters and even in sheltered inlets and lagoons along the seashore. The Eurasian teal usually feeds by dabbling, upending or grazing; it may submerge its head and on occasion even dive to reach food. In the breeding season it eats mainly aquatic invertebrates, such as crustaceans, insects and their larvae, molluscs and worms. In winter, it shifts to a largely granivorous diet, feeding on seeds of aquatic plants and grasses, including sedges and grains. Diurnal throughout the breeding season, in winter they are often crepuscular or even nocturnal feeders. It nests on the ground, near water and under cover. The pairs form in the winter quarters and arrive on the breeding grounds together, starting about March. The breeding starts some weeks thereafter, not until May in the most northernly locations. The nest is a deep hollow lined with dry leaves and down feathers, built in dense vegetation near water. After the females have started laying, the males leave them and move away for shorter or longer distances, assembling in flocks on particular lakes where they moult into eclipse plumage; they will usually encounter their offspring only in winter quarters. The clutch may consist of 5–16 eggs, but usually numbers 8–11; they are incubated for 21–23 days. The young leave the nest soon after hatching and are attended by the mother for about 25–30 days, after which they fledge. The drakes and the ducks with young generally move to the winter quarters separately. After the first winter, the young moult into adult plumage. The maximum recorded lifespan (though it is not clear whether this refers to the common or the green-winged teal) was over 27 years, moderately high for such a small bird. ==Notes==