Chestnut teal
| Chestnut teal | |
|---|---|
| File:Male chestnut teal.jpg | |
| Male | |
| File:Female Chestnut Teal duck.jpg | |
| Female | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Family: | Anatidae |
| Genus: | Anas |
| Species: | A. castanea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Anas castanea (Eyton, 1838)
| |
The chestnut teal (Anas castanea) is a dabbling duck found in Australia. It is protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.[clarification needed]
Taxonomy
[edit | edit source]The chestnut teal was described by the English naturalist Thomas Campbell Eyton in 1838 under the binomial name Mareca castanea.[2] The specific epithet castanea is from the Latin castaneus for "chestnut-coloured" or "chestnut-brown".[3]
A large molecular phylogentic study that compared mitochondrial DNA sequences from ducks, geese and swans in the family Anatidae found that the chestnut teal is a sister species to the Sunda teal (Anas gibberifrons) that is endemic to Indonesia.[4]
Description
[edit | edit source]The chestnut teal is darker and a slightly bigger bird than the grey teal.[5]
The male has a distinctive green coloured head and mottled brown body. The female has a brown head and mottled brown body. The female is almost identical in appearance to the grey teal.
The female chestnut teal has a loud penetrating "laughing" quack repeated rapidly nine times or more.[5]
Distribution and habitat
[edit | edit source]The chestnut teal is commonly distributed in south-eastern and south-western Australia, while vagrants may occur elsewhere. Tasmania and southern Victoria are the species' stronghold,[5] while vagrants have been found as far north as New Guinea and Lord Howe Island, and as far south as New Zealand.[6]
The chestnut teal prefers coastal estuaries and wetlands, and is indifferent to salinity. This bird is an omnivore.
Breeding
[edit | edit source]Chestnut teals form monogamous pairs that stay together outside the breeding season, defend the nest site and look after the young when hatched. Nests are usually located over water, in a down-lined tree hollow about 6–10 m (20–33 ft) high. Sometimes nests are placed on the ground, among clumps of grass near water. The young hatch and are ready to swim and walk within a day.[6]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Anas castanea at Wikispecies
Lua error in Module:Taxonbar at line 165: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).