Anas crecca

Linnaeus, 1758

Green-winged Teal

G5Secure Found in 119 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104242
Element CodeABNJB10010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderAnseriformes
FamilyAnatidae
GenusAnas
Other Common Names
Cerceta Ala Verde (ES) green-winged teal (EN) Sarcelle d'hiver (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Livezey's (1991) phylogenetic analysis and classification (supergenera, subgenera, infragenera, etc.) of dabbling ducks (based on comparative morphology) listed A. crecca and A. carolinensis as separate species. Zink et al. (1995), however, found no evidence of genetic differentiation between populations in Asian and North American sides of Beringia. The American Ornithologists' Union (1998 and subsequent supplements in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004) accordingly has treated A. crecca and A. carolinensis as conspecific. In contrast, in a phylogeny of dabbling ducks, Johnson and Sorenson (1999) presented evidence that A. crecca and A. carolinensis are separate species, and the British Ornithological Union (2001) subsequently recognized them as such.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-06
Change Date1996-11-21
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Range Extent Comments
Holarctic. BREEDS: north-central Alaska, northwestern and central Canada south to California, northern New Mexico, northern Nebraska, Minnesota, northern Ohio, western New York, Maine, Nova Scotia; Iceland, northern Eurasia, Aleutians south to southern Spain, northern Italy, southern Russia and northwestern China. WINTERS: in North America, mostly in the U.S., regularly to central Mexico and Antilles; also Hawaii; widely in Old World. In the U.S., the highest winter densities occur in western Texas, northern Utah, Kansas, Mississippi-Arkansas, and southeastern North Carolina; except for the latter, these are associated with national wildlife refuges (Root 1988).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

See Jackson (1991) for information on identification of North American teal.

Habitat

Freshwater ponds, marshes, shallow edges of lakes; also, in migration and winter, shallow salt and brackish water and shores (Godfrey 1966). Nests in prairie pothole country and elsewhere. Usually nests in areas with dense emergent vegetation; on islands, lake edges, sometimes in upland habitat some distance from water. Nest is a depression lined with plant material, down, feathers.

Reproduction

Clutch size is 7-15 (usually 8-9). Incubation, by female, lasts 21-23 days. Males abandon females early in incubation. Nestlings are precocial, tended by female, become independent in about 23 days.
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS5B,S5NYes
LabradorS5BYes
Nova ScotiaS4B,S5MYes
Northwest TerritoriesS5Yes
Prince Edward IslandS5BYes
ManitobaS5BYes
Yukon TerritoryS5BYes
SaskatchewanS5BYes
Island of NewfoundlandS4B,SUMYes
AlbertaS5BYes
OntarioS4B,S4N,S5MYes
QuebecS5BYes
New BrunswickS4B,S5MYes
NunavutS5BYes
United StatesN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
New HampshireS3BYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
MassachusettsS2B,S5MYes
ArizonaS3B,S5NYes
MichiganS3Yes
VirginiaSUYes
PennsylvaniaS1B,S4N,S3MYes
North CarolinaS5NYes
VermontS1BYes
ColoradoS5B,S4NYes
IdahoS4N,S4BYes
MaineS5BYes
HawaiiSNAYes
MarylandS4NYes
New MexicoS4B,S5NYes
ConnecticutSNAYes
Rhode IslandS1B,S4NYes
LouisianaS5NYes
New JerseySNRNYes
NebraskaS4Yes
MinnesotaSNRBYes
ArkansasS4NYes
UtahS3Yes
OklahomaSNRNYes
IowaS2B,S5NYes
OregonS4B,S5NYes
Navajo NationS2B,S4NYes
New YorkS3Yes
District of ColumbiaS2NYes
TennesseeS4NYes
KentuckyS4NYes
WyomingS5B,S5NYes
MississippiS4NYes
West VirginiaSHB,S2NYes
MissouriSNRNYes
DelawareS4NYes
CaliforniaSNRB,SNRNYes
KansasS1B,S5NYes
North DakotaSNRBYes
South CarolinaS5NYes
IndianaS1B,S1NYes
FloridaSNRNYes
WisconsinS4B,S5NYes
South DakotaS4BYes
AlaskaS5B,S4NYes
NevadaS4B,S5NYes
TexasS2B,S5NYes
WashingtonS4B,S3NYes
AlabamaS5NYes
MontanaS5BYes
Roadless Areas (119)
Alaska (28)
AreaForestAcres
Boston BarChugach National Forest53,617
Chilkat-West Lynn CanalTongass National Forest199,772
Chugach-12Chugach National Forest8,116
Copper River WetlandsChugach National Forest85,972
Douglas IslandTongass National Forest28,065
Fidalgo-GravinaChugach National Forest257,968
Freshwater BayTongass National Forest44,933
Game CreekTongass National Forest54,469
Johnson PassChugach National Forest152,508
Juneau UrbanTongass National Forest101,581
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
Mansfield PeninsulaTongass National Forest54,991
Middle KruzofTongass National Forest14,724
Nellie JuanChugach National Forest713,697
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
North KruzofTongass National Forest33,146
North RevillaTongass National Forest215,430
Port AlexanderTongass National Forest120,681
RedoubtTongass National Forest68,347
ResurrectionChugach National Forest224,615
RevillaTongass National Forest29,298
Roaded DonutChugach National Forest968
Sitka UrbanTongass National Forest112,003
South KruzofTongass National Forest55,193
Twenty MileChugach National Forest198,775
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Yakutat ForelandsTongass National Forest323,648
Arizona (1)
AreaForestAcres
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
California (18)
AreaForestAcres
CajonSan Bernardino National Forest7,548
Caples CreekEldorado National Forest17,854
Chips CreekLassen National Forest29,089
Excelsior (CA)Inyo National Forest45,607
Fox MountainLos Padres National Forest52,072
Glass MountainInyo National Forest52,867
Granite PeakSan Bernardino National Forest450
Greenhorn CreekSequoia National Forest28,226
Hoover - Mt.olsenHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest624
Log Cabin SaddlebagInyo National Forest15,165
Mt. JacksonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest20,721
Mt. OlsenInyo National Forest2,161
ParsnipModoc National Forest8,485
PyramidEldorado National Forest24,347
South ForkShasta-Trinity National Forest16,786
Timbered CraterLassen National Forest4,096
WestforkAngeles National Forest4,407
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
Colorado (3)
AreaForestAcres
Comanche Peak Adjacent AreaArapaho & Roosevelt NFs44,158
Dome PeakRoutt NF35,716
HermosaSan Juan NF148,103
Idaho (8)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Borah PeakSalmon-Challis National Forest130,463
Boulder - White CloudsSalmon-Challis National Forest139,297
Boulder - White CloudsSawtooth National Forest322,653
HoodooNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest153,868
PalisadesCaribou-Targhee National Forest122,002
Pioneer MountainsSalmon-Challis National Forest172,460
Pioneer MountainsSawtooth National Forest119,563
Montana (11)
AreaForestAcres
BridgerGallatin National Forest45,059
Buckhorn Ridge (MT)Kootenai National Forest34,716
HoodooLolo National Forest105,162
Hyalite - Porcupine - Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study AreaGallatin National Forest143,991
MadisonGallatin National Forest127,859
Mt. Gmt Area HCuster National Forest1,335
North AbsarokaCuster National Forest21,063
North Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest52,227
Selway - Bitterroot (01067)Bitterroot National Forest114,953
West Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest133,563
West PioneerBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest248,631
Nevada (2)
AreaForestAcres
Antelope - West 1Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest8,642
Table Mtn. - EastHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest87,789
New Mexico (6)
AreaForestAcres
Arroyo de los FrijolesSanta Fe National Forest5,277
Candian RiverCibola National Forest7,149
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold WildernessGila National Forest111,883
Meadow CreekGila National Forest34,167
San Pedro ParksSanta Fe National Forest5,824
South Guadalupe MountainsLincoln National Forest20,930
Oregon (10)
AreaForestAcres
BearwallowsDeschutes National Forest7,317
HellholeUmatilla National Forest65,679
Hurricane CreekWallowa-Whitman National Forest1,606
Mt. JeffersonDeschutes National Forest2,282
Mt. BaileyUmpqua National Forest18,401
North Fork MalheurMalheur National Forest18,069
North PaulinaDeschutes National Forest19,670
Snake RiverWallowa-Whitman National Forest31,229
South PaulinaDeschutes National Forest9,074
Twin MountainWallowa-Whitman National Forest58,533
South Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Utah (6)
AreaForestAcres
418025Uinta National Forest32,698
Little CreekFishlake National Forest11,479
Moody WashDixie National Forest31,835
Oak CreekFishlake National Forest54,053
Rock CanyonDixie National Forest16,457
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Washington (8)
AreaForestAcres
Blue SlideWenatchee National Forest17,505
BourbonGifford Pinchot National Forest4,512
Granite MountainOkanogan National Forest27,428
Grassy TopIdaho Panhandle National Forests13,485
Grassy TopColville National Forest10,302
Jupiter RidgeOlympic National Forest10,148
Liberty BellOkanogan National Forest108,495
SawtoothOkanogan National Forest122,194
Wyoming (15)
AreaForestAcres
Beartooth Proposed WildernessShoshone National Forest16,837
Gros Ventre MountainsBridger-Teton National Forest106,418
Mosquito Lake - Seven LakesBridger-Teton National Forest51,950
Munger MountainBridger-Teton National Forest12,827
Pacific Creek - Blackrock CreekBridger-Teton National Forest24,658
PalisadesTarghee National Forest1,121
Phillips RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest10,108
South Beartooth HighwayShoshone National Forest105,570
Sulphur CreekShoshone National Forest30,221
Teton Corridor TrailheadsBridger-Teton National Forest286
Warm Spring CreekShoshone National Forest6,216
West Slope TetonsTarghee National Forest47,448
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
Wilderness Study AreaTarghee National Forest51,961
Windy MountainShoshone National Forest31,283
References (28)
  1. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  3. British Ornithological Union. 2001. British Ornithological Union Records Committee, 27th Report. Ibis 143:171-175.
  4. Coulter, M. W., and W. R. Miller. 1968. Nesting biology of Black Ducks and Mallards in northern New England. Vermont Fish and Game Department Bulletin 68-2.
  5. Dzubin, A. 1955. Some evidence of home range in waterfowl. Transactions of the North American Wildlife Conference 20:278-298.
  6. Frazer, C., J. R. Longcore, and D. G. McAuley. 1990a. Habitat use by postfledging American black ducks in Maine and New Brunswick. Journal of Wildlife Management 54:451-459.
  7. Gilmer, D. S., I. J. Ball, L. M. Cowardin, J. H. Riechmann, and J. R. Tester. 1975. Habitat use and home range of mallards breeding in Minnesota. Journal of Wildlife Management 39:781-789.
  8. Godfrey, W.E. 1966. The birds of Canada. National Museums of Canada. Ottawa. 428 pp.
  9. Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio.
  10. Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb. 1995. A guide to the birds of Mexico and northern Central America. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.
  11. Jackson, G. D. 1991. Field identification of teal in North America: female-like plumages. Part I: blue-winged, cinnamon, and green-winged teal. Birding 23(3):124-133.
  12. Johnson, K. P., and M. D. Sorenson. 1999. Phylogeny and biogeography of dabbling ducks (Genus: ANAS): a comparison of molecular and morphological evidence. Auk 116:792-805.
  13. Johnson, S. R. and D. R. Herter. 1989. The Birds of the Beaufort Sea. BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., Anchorage, Alaska. 372 pp.
  14. Livezey, B. C. 1991. A phylogenetic analysis and classification of recent dabbling ducks (tribe Anatini) based on comparative morphology. Auk 108:471-507.
  15. Moisan, G., R. I. Smith, and R. K. Martinson. 1967. The green-winged teal: its distribution, migration, and population dynamics. U.S. Fish and Wildl. Serv., Spec. Sci. Rep., Wildlife No. 100. 248 pp.
  16. Parker III, T. A., D. F. Stotz, and J. W. Fitzpatrick. 1996. Ecological and distributional databases for neotropical birds. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
  17. Poole, A. F. and F. B. Gill. 1992. The birds of North America. The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. and The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA.
  18. Pratt, H. D., P. L. Bruner, and D. G. Berrett. 1987. A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 409 pp. + 45 plates.
  19. Raffaele, H. A. 1983a. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Fondo Educativo Interamericano, San Juan, Puerto Rico. 255 pp.
  20. Raffaele, H., J. Wiley, O. Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele. 1998. A guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 511 pp.
  21. Ridgely, R. S. 2002. Distribution maps of South American birds. Unpublished.
  22. Ringelman, J. K., J. R. Longcore, and R. B. Owen, Jr. 1982. Nest and brood attentiveness in female Black Ducks. Condor 84:110-116.
  23. Root, T. 1988. Atlas of wintering North American birds: An analysis of Christmas Bird Count data. University of Chicago Press. 336 pp.
  24. Sibley, D. A. 2000a. The Sibley guide to birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  25. Stiles, F. G. and A. F. Skutch. 1989. A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, USA. 511 pp.
  26. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  27. Zink, R. M., S. Rohwer, A. V. Andreev, and D. L. Dittman. 1995. Trans-Beringia comparisons of mitochondrial DNA differentiation in birds. Condor 97:639-649.
  28. Zook, J. L. 2002. Distribution maps of the birds of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Unpublished.