(Credit: U. S. Geological Survey)

Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca

Identification Tips:

  1. Length: 10.5 inches Wingspan: 24 inches
  2. Very small, short-necked, and small-billed dabbling duck
  3. Green speculum
  4. Whitish belly
  5. Juvenile similar to adult female

Adult male alternate:

  1. Alternate plumage worn from Fall through early summer
  2. Dark bill
  3. Rich rust-colored head
  4. Iridescent green face patch sweeping through eye and tapering to the back of head
  5. Buff chest with dark spotting
  6. Gray flanks and back
  7. Vertical white line at fore part of flanks
  8. Horizontal black line above flanks
  9. Buff outer undertail coverts bordered by black
  10. Black central undertail coverts

Adult male basic:

  1. Similar to adult female, but with duller face pattern

Adult female:

  1. Dark gray bill
  2. Pale brown head and neck
  3. Dark brown cap and eye line
  4. Dark brown back and upperwing coverts scalloped with buff
  5. White breast spotted with brown
  6. White belly

Similar species:

Adult male unmistakable in winter. Females, immature and eclipse males similar to most female ducks, but are very small, short-billed, and have a distinctive wing pattern that is sometimes visible at rest.