Teal

Description:

Eurasian Teal or simply Teal is a small and gregarious dabbling duck. In size, it does not exceed 30 cm in length. The adult breeding male (drake) sports a distinctive chestnut-colored head, with iridescent blue-green cheeks - cheeks are bordered yellow, creating a pattern on its face. The drake also sports light-grey finely striped flanks, belly, nape and part of backs. It bears a distinctive white horizontal line along the body - this line helps ID this Teal from North-American teal (who instead of white line along the body, sports shorter white vertical line from the shoulder downwards). The female is brown-grey, mottled dark. It bears a bright green panel on (wings)secondaries.

Habitat:

Wetlands Seen in wetlands of NP Camargue, south of France - a sanctuary wetlands zone.

Notes:

The Camargue is a natural region located south of Arles, France, and it is a western Europe biggest river delta - where Rhône meets the sea. Camargue is a vast plain, and one third of it are lakes and marshes. The Regional Park and Natural reserve covers over 800 Km²; and enjoys one of the most tight nature protection in Europe. Moreover, Camargue was named an IBA or Important Bird Area by Birdlife International, as over 400 wild species of birds are recorded here - the emblem of the park is Greater flamingo, whose main European habitat is here. The Camargue is also home to many other mediterranean species of insects, amphibians, reptiles...