Eurasian Teal: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Ducks, Geese and Swans · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. This little duck lent its name to a colour: teal, a blue-green shade.
2. Its scientific name crecca imitates the male's call, a whistled "cryc". In Swedish, the bird is called kricka.
3. Teal ducklings are tiny: at hatching, they weigh only 15 g. Their down is brown on top and yellow underneath.
4. Teal flocks fly fast and twist through the air like wading birds. On land, these short-legged ducks are surprisingly nimble.
5. In summer, teal eat mostly small water creatures and feed by day. In winter, they switch to seeds and often eat at dusk or at night.

The quiz

1. What has this duck given its English name to?

• A blue-green colour (correct)
• A type of boat
• A winter festival
• A river in Sweden

The colour teal is named after the bird.

2. Where does the scientific name crecca come from?

• The Latin word for small
• The Greek word for green
• The male's call (correct)
• The name of a lake

It imitates the male's call: it is the duck that says cryc.

3. How much does a teal duckling weigh when it hatches?

• 3 g
• 150 g
• 360 g
• 15 g (correct)

The ducklings weigh just 15 g at hatching.

4. What do flying teal flocks look like?

• A slow line of geese
• Fast, twisting flocks of wading birds (correct)
• Soaring eagles
• Herons flapping slowly

Their fast, twisting flocks resemble waders.

5. When do teal often feed in winter?

• Only around midday
• At dusk or at night (correct)
• Only on sunny afternoons
• They stop eating all winter

In winter they often feed at dusk or even at night.

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