Ringed Teal

Callonetta leucophrys

The ringed teal live in South America, from southern Bolivia, Paraguay and southwestern Brazil to northeastern Argentina and Uruguay in wooded habitats.  They have strong, pointed claws on their feet so they can readily perch in trees.  Their length can be up to 14-15 inches with a 28 inch wingspan and weight of 11-12 ounces.  Typical of wood ducks, they have beautiful iridescent greenish plumage patterns, especially on the wings.  Their legs are light pink, the slender bill bluish grey and the eyes brown.  They feed, predominately, on water plants with some insects.  In captivity, they also eat grains and greens.

They have fairly long toes and strong, sharp toe-nails, the better to sit un-duck-like in trees.  The webbed feet support the bird on mud and floating vegetation and, of course, allow for easier swimming.  They are "puddle ducks", surface feeding ducks also known as dabblers.  They obtain their food by up-ending, immersing the head, neck and front of the body under water with the tail in the air.  They maintain this position with foot action, grazing on submerged bottom plants.  Their gait gives the effect of limping because they nod on only every other step.

The ringed teal nests are in holes or other cavities in trees and lined with down.  Incubation period for eggs is 29 days and both male and female take turns incubating the eggs and caring for the young.  Clutches contain 5 to 12 whitish eggs.  The plumage of the ducklings needs to be water repellant when they leave the nest and they get the necessary oil as they rub against their mother's abdominal plumage.  They are called from the nest a day or two after hatching.  They can fly some 50 to 55 days after hatching and follow the adults to the winter feeding grounds.