The silver teal or versicolor teal (''Spatula versicolor'') is a species of

dabbling duck The Anatinae are a subfamily of the family Anatidae ( swans, geese and ducks). Its surviving members are the dabbling ducks, which feed mainly at the surface rather than by diving. The other members of the Anatinae are the extinct moa-nalo, a yo ...

in the genus ''Spatula''. It breeds in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. Between April and June they prefer reed beds and will lay 6 to 10 creamy-pink eggs. As with swans and geese, both parents will rear the ducklings. A pair may bond long term. It lives on fresh water in small groups, and feeds primarily on vegetable matter such as seeds and aquatic plants. The silver teal's range includes southern

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, southern

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

South Georgia South Georgia ( es, Isla San Pedro) is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east� ...

South Sandwich Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = , song = , image_map = South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in United Kingdom.svg , map_caption = Location of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Oce ...

, and the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

.Clements, J. (2007) The southernmost birds migrate to southern

in the winter. Silver teals are on the whole placid ducks but may be protective of eggs, young and females.

Description

They have a black cap that extends below the eyes, and a bluish bill with a yellow tip. They also have a green speculum with a white border.ArthurGrosset.com
/ref> The

Puna teal The Puna teal (''Spatula puna'') is a species of dabbling duck in the family Anatidae. It was at one time regarded as a subspecies of the silver teal. The Puna teal is resident in the Andes of Peru, western Bolivia, northern Chile, and extreme ...

was previously regarded as a subspecies of this bird. Currently, there are two subspecies: * ''S. versicolor versicolor'' northern silver teal located in

, southern

, and southern

. * ''S. versicolor fretensis'' southern silver teal located in southern

, and the

Footnotes

References

*Clements, James, (2007
''The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World''
Cornell University Press, Ithaca

Connecticut Waterfowl Trust. April 2, 2003 (Retrieved October 31, 2006).
Falklands.net

silver teal The silver teal or versicolor teal (''Spatula versicolor'') is a species of dabbling duck in the genus ''Spatula''. It breeds in South America. Between April and June they prefer reed beds and will lay 6 to 10 creamy-pink eggs. As with swans a ...

Birds of Argentina Birds of Chile Birds of the Falkland Islands Birds of Paraguay Birds of Uruguay

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