Teal

teal: see duck.

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teal

Holarctic American green-winged teal drake (Anas crecca carolinensis).

(credit: Gordon Langsbury-Bruce Coleman Inc.)

Any of about 15 species (genus Anas, family Anatidae) of small dabbling ducks found on the major continents and many islands. Many are popular game birds. The Holarctic green-winged teal, usually found in a dense flock, is 13–15 in. (33–38 cm) long. The small blue-winged teal breeds across Canada and the northern U.S. and winters south of the U.S. The Hottentot teal of Africa frequently remains immobile among vegetation even when shots are fired nearby. Teal are primarily herbivorous, but some species eat small animals. Flocks of many species take off and change direction in unison.

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teal

1. any of various small ducks, such as the Eurasian Anas crecca (common teal) that are related to the mallard and frequent ponds, lakes, and marshes

2. a greenish-blue colour

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Teal 

the common name of about 20 species of small river ducks of the genus Anas. Teals are found everywhere except the polar regions. Many species are migratory.

There are four species in the USSR. The best known are the common, or green-winged, teal (Anas crecca) and the garganey, or garganey teal (A. querquedula). The Baikal teal (A. formosa), which is hunted intensively during its period of migration, is found in Siberia east of the Enisei, while the marbled teal (A. angustirostris) is found only in Middle Asia and Transcaucasia. All teals prefer shallow standing waters. They nest in meadows and forest clearings. The female lays eight or nine eggs, which are incubated for about three weeks.