Don’t fly till your wings are feathered.

A German Proverb

Green-winged Teal

The Green-winged Teal (GWT, Anas carolinensis) is a common and widespread duck which breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands.

This dabbling duck is strongly migratory and winters far south of its breeding range. It is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and will form large flocks. In flight, the fast, twisting flocks resemble waders.

Identification Tips:
• Length: 10.5 inches Wingspan: 24 inches
• Very small, short-necked, and small-billed dabbling duck
• Green speculum
• Whitish belly
• Juvenile similar to adult female

Adult male alternate:
• Alternate plumage worn from Fall through early summer
• Dark bill
• Rich rust-colored head
• Iridescent green face patch sweeping through eye and tapering to the back of head
• Buff chest with dark spotting
• Gray flanks and back
• Vertical white line at fore part of flanks
• Horizontal black line above flanks
• Buff outer undertail coverts bordered by black
• Black central undertail coverts

Green-winged Teal: Have you seen this bird?

Adult male basic:
• Similar to adult female, but with duller face pattern

Adult female:
• Dark gray bill
• Pale brown head and neck
• Dark brown cap and eye line
• Dark brown back and upperwing coverts scalloped with buff
• White breast spotted with brown
• 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.

The Green-winged Teal is the smallest North American dabbling duck.

It is a common duck of sheltered wetlands, such as taiga bogs. The Green-winged Teal usually feeds by dabbling for plant food or grazing. It nests on the ground, near water and under cover.