Baikal Teal is a small East Asian duck and a rare wild visitor to the United States. Males have a patterned pale yellowish-brown and green face, while females are brown with a white spot at the base of the bill. Some U.S. sightings may involve escaped captive birds.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A male has a bold -and-green face and a rosy breast. A female is brown with a small white patch at the base of her bill.
Look-alikes
Green-winged TealAnas crecca
The male Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) has a chestnut head with one broad green sweep behind the eye, rather than the Baikal Teal’s patterned buff-and-green face. On females, look for the Baikal Teal’s white spot beside the bill.
Why they get mixed upBoth are small teals, and brown females can be hard to separate.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- freshwater wetlands
- lakes and rivers
- Range
- It breeds in eastern Siberia and winters mainly in East Asia. In the U.S., wild visitors are rare in Alaska; reports elsewhere may involve escaped captive birds.
Behavior
- Social life
- On East Asian wintering grounds, large flocks can gather.
Life cycle
- Nest
- The female nests on the ground near Siberian wetlands.
- Clutch size
- A usually has 4–10 eggs.
Name and classification
- About the name
- It was formerly called Anas formosa.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction