Bird
Bird
Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca
The Green-winged Teal is the smallest dabbling duck to visit Trinidad, a compact winter migrant named for the iridescent green patch on the wing, most visible in flight.
The Green-winged Teal is the smallest dabbling duck to visit Trinidad, a compact winter migrant named for the iridescent green patch on the wing, most visible in flight.
Identification
A very small duck around 35 to 38 cm long. Breeding males show a chestnut head with a broad green eye patch and a finely marked grey body; females are mottled brown. Both sexes show a bright green speculum (wing patch) bordered with buff, most visible in flight or when the wing is stretched.
Migration
A non-breeding migrant present in Trinidad during the northern winter, having bred across Canada, Alaska, and the northern United States. It winters throughout the Caribbean and Central America, and is absent from Trinidad outside this non-breeding season.
Status in T&T
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to freshwater wetlands in Trinidad. Not considered threatened, and it is protected as a migratory species under the Conservation of Wildlife Act.
