Small duck (approx 38 cm or 15 in). Males with a rufous head and a dark green stripe with a clear border. The bill is dark. Black and yellow tail area. Greyish back and lighter grey underparts. Creamy breast. Dark legs. Less showy females, with brownish plumage. Both sexes have a green speculum and a smaller size than other ducks.
Wetlands
Small lagoons and fresh or brackish wetlands with islands of gravel or sand devoid of vegetation. In its breeding territories this bird needs wetlands with plenty of marsh vegetation.
Wintering species in the province. In northern Europe it begins breeding in the spring, building a nest on the ground near the shore. One laying of 8 to 11 eggs. Omnivorous feeding, it consumes both animal (insect larvae, molluscs, crustaceans) and vegetable matter (seeds, sprouts, rhizomes) according to the availability of food. The Green-Winged Teal uses shallow waters since it is a dabbling duck.
It can be watched in the mouth of the Guadalhorce and Vélez rivers, and in the Fuente de Piedra and Campillos lagoons. Also in coastal wetlands of the Costa del Sol, particularly in the reservoir of Cancelada (Estepona).
Teals are the smallest dabbling ducks in Malaga, almost comparable in size to pigeons. They feed by immersing their heads in the water or going from one side of the mud to another with their flat bill. Their Latin name means "duck with green wings".
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