ANIMAL:Ringed Teal Callonetta leucophrys
Type of Animal:
Duck
Habitat:
Wetlands, secluded pools, small streams, forests, ponds, marshy clearings in low-lying woodlands, tropical marshes, swampy wooded areas
Location(s):
S Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, N Argentina
Appearance:
Males have chestnut backs, pale gray flanks, salmon-colored black speckled breast, black band runs from top of head down to nape, iridescent green patches on wings. Females have olive-brownish backs w/ head blotched w/ white striping & penciled barring on pale chest/belly. Both sexes have dark tails (darker on male), contrasting pale rumps, distinctive white wing patches, gray bills, pink legs/feet.
Food/Diet:
Aquatic plants, seeds, shoots, vegetables, invertebrates, fish
Status in Wild:
Stable
Conservation:
Breeding in zoos, aquariums, wildlife parks, & aviculture
Lifestyle:
Flocks of 2-100 birds
Additional Info:Called:
Male: Drake
Female: Hen
Young: Duckling
Group: Flock
Weight:
Male: 12 oz
Female: 11 oz
Gestation:
1 monthLife Span:
10-15 years
Height:
7.87 in, same for both sexes
Body Length:
Male: 1.25 ft
Female: 1.16 ft
Tail Length:
0.35 in, same for both sexes
Main predators are raptors, felids, foxes, snakes, & crocodilians.
Due to where they live, males don’t have nonbreeding eclipse plumage.
Like dabbling ducks, they rarely completely submerge themselves, feeding on surface.
Often have 2 broods per breeding season w/ 5-14 ducklings in each brood.
Ducklings fledge at 7-8 weeks old.
Females have meow call or quack while males have long soft whistle.
Courtship involves male preening & flashing iridescent green wing color toward female. He also swims around female in figure-eight pattern while throwing head back & whistling.
Bills have coarse, plate-like ridges along edges (lamellae) allowing them to cut vegetation like teeth would.
They’re fast & agile flyers.
Sexually mature at a year old.
Like many ducks, they mate in water.
Often have limping gait.
Active during the day (diurnal).
Only member of its genus.
Fun Fact(s):
Latin name translates to “beautiful duck w/ white wing patches,”
There’s some dispute whether these ducks are most closely related to dabbling ducks, shelducks, mandarin/wood ducks, or maned duck/maned geese/Australian wood duck.
Ducklings hatch w/ non-waterproof layer of feather down. Ducklings rub on parents, gaining essential oils for waterproofing.
Nest in tree holes/cavities, w/ ducklings following parents by making great leaps from nest.
Unique specialized webbed toes w/ long pointed claws allow them to sit/perch on branches.
