- Anas albogularis
Identification
37-47 cm. A rather small dabbling duck.
- Cinnamon-brown plumage with some mottling
- White markings on throat and around eye (very variable), dark blackish brown rest of head
- Short white line below speculum
- Dark green and white flashes on wings
Sexes similar.
Similar species
Formerly considered conspecific with Sunda Teal but Sunda Teal lacks white markings on head. Andaman Teal also never shows an obvious bulbous forehead.
Distribution
Endemic to the Andaman Islands and Great Coco Island.
Formerly common but now possibly in danger due to development and drainage of wetlands. Numbers appear to be stable at the moment, population is likely to exceed 1000 birds.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Was formerly treated as a subspecies of Sunda Teal.
Habitat
Open wetlands, freshwater lakes, marshes, brackish or saline waters.
Behaviour
Diet
Diet not known, probably similar to Sunda Teal. Feeds by filtering mud by dabbling in shallow water and by picking up insects and seeds. Often in rice fields at night.
Breeding
Starts breeding from July to August. The nest is placed in reeds or in tree-holes. Lays 7 to 8 eggs.
Movements
A sedentary species with some possible nomadic movements. A single historical record in southern Myanmar.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2016. IOC World Bird Names (version 6.3). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2016)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Andaman Teal. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 14 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Andaman_Teal
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
