Silver Teal

Silver Teal
A male in Brazil
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Anseriformes
Family:	Anatidae
Subfamily:	Anatinae
Genus:	Anas
Species:	A. versicolor
Binomial name
Anas versicolor Vieillot, 1816
Subspecies
A. v. versicolor (Vieillot, 1816) (Northern Silver Teal) A. v. fretensis (King, 1831)) (Southern Silver Teal)

The Silver Teal or Versicolor Teal (Anas versicolor) is a species of dabbling duck in the genus Anas. 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 and geese, both parents will rear the ducklings.^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]}

The Silver Teal's range includes southern Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, and the Falkland Islands. The southernmost birds migrate to southern Brazil in the winter.

Silver Teals are on the whole placid ducks but may be protective of eggs, young and females.^{[citation needed]}

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.

The Puna Teal was previously regarded as a subspecies of this bird. Currently, there are two subspecies:

• A. versicolor versicolor Northern Silver Teal located in Paraguay, southern Bolivia, and southern Brazil.
• A. versicolor fretensis Southern Silver Teal located in southern Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands.

References

• Clements, James, (2007) The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World, Cornell University Press, Ithaca
• "Dabbling Ducks". Connecticut Waterfowl Trust. April 2, 2003 (Retrieved October 31, 2006).
• Falklands.net
• IUCN (2009) BirdLife International Anas versicolor Downloaded on 8 Jan 2009.