Common Teal

Anas crecca (Linnaeus, 1758)

		male female
2016-02-21 Balykchy gulf, Issyk-kul region 2020-10-20 Balakchi	© Irina Romanovskaia © Philippe Campeau

Biology

Common breeding migrant, locally numerous. Inhabits largely forested lakes, rivers, streams and marshes on plains and in mountains up to 2000 m on Altai. Shows up end February – early March in southern areas, and end March – mid-April in the northern. Main migration in April and finishes early May. Migrates in separate flocks up to some dozen specimens, often with other ducks. Nest is built on ground under shelter of grass or bushes in shallow hollow lined with dry grass and down. Clutches of 6-9 eggs mid-May – end June. Only female incubates. Juveniles hatch mid-June – mid-July, and begin flying from end July. Repeated broods are common (downy chicks recorded mid-July, and juveniles not yet able to fly at end August – mid-September). While females incubate, males gather in flocks and fly away to moult on shallow steppe lakes in Central Kazakhstan. Such moult dispersal observed from mid-July. Autumn migration begins end August, most intensive movements second half September – early October. Some birds hang around up to first 10 days of December.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.