Baikal Teals are also called bimaculate ducks or squawk ducks. Male Baikal Teals are uniquely patterned ducks which makes it easy to recognize them. They have white, green, pale brown, and black-colored heads with a striking pattern.
Their breasts are spotted in a pinkish-brown color. Their sides are gray and outlined with vertical white stripes. Their backs are dark brown with a scallop pattern, and they have long, pointed feathers that cover their wings.
Females and juveniles share the same coloring – dark brown on the top half and light brown on the lower half of their bodies. Their breasts and flanks have a spotted pattern, while their back is more scalloped. Females have a distinct white spot at the base of their bills.
- Anas formosa
- Length: 15 – 17 in (38-43 cm)
- Weight: 15.4 oz (436 g)
- Wingspan: 20 – 25 in (51 – 64 cm)
Range
Baikal Teals usually breed in eastern Siberia and winter in Asia, but they wander into the United States and Canada.
Habitat And Diet
You can find Baikal Teals near swampy, tundra areas during the breeding season. They spend winter in freshwater areas like lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. They also favor farmlands where they feed at night.
Baikal Teals are dabbling ducks, so they feed on underwater plants and invertebrates simply by tipping their bodies into the water. They would normally eat aquatic plant seeds, snails, and algae. When on agricultural fields, they consume grains and seeds.
Baikal Teal Calls:
Nests
Nests of Baikal Teals are often found on the ground, either near the base of a tree or a shrub or near the water. The nests are made out of dried plants and lined with feathers. The female lays six to ten eggs which take twenty-one to twenty-five days to hatch.
Fun Fact:
Baikal Teals used to be classified as “Vulnerable” due to hunting before 2011, but their numbers are now recovering.
