Brazilian Teal
| Brazilian Teal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Family: | Anatidae |
| Subfamily: | Anatinae |
| Genus: | Amazonetta von Boetticher, 1929 |
| Species: | A. brasiliensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Amazonetta brasiliensis (Gmelin, 1789) | |
| Subspecies | |
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The Brazilian Teal or Brazilian Duck (Amazonetta brasiliensis) is the only duck in the genusAmazonetta. It was formerly considered a "perching duck", but more recent analyses indicate that it belongs to a clade of South American dabbling ducks which also includes the Crested Duck, the Bronze-winged Duck, and possibly the steamer ducks (Johnson & Sorenson, 1999).
The ducks are light brown in colour. Drakes distinguish themselves from females in having red beaks and legs, and in having a distinctive pale grey area on the side of its head and neck. The colour of these limbs is much duller in females.
Brazilian Teal live in pairs or in small groups of up to twenty birds. Both parents look after their hatchlings. They eat seeds, fruits, roots and insect, while ducklings eat only insects.
They can be found throughout eastern South America, from Uruguay, to northern and eastern Argentina, Paraguay, central Venezuela, Brazil, northeastern Peru, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, eastern Bolivia, and eastern Colombia. Their preferred habitat is a body offreshwater away from the coast with dense vegetation nearby. There are two sub-species:
- A. brasiliensis brasiliensis (Lesser Brazilian Teal), the nominate race, found in Brazil,Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, central Venezuela, eastern Colombia, and northeastern Peru.
- A. brasiliensis ipecutiri (Greater Brazilian Teal), found in Brazil, Northern Argentina, eastern Bolivia, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
They are plentiful and are listed as of Least Concern.
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