Anas falcata

Geographic Range

The range of Anas falcata , also known as falcated teals or ducks, is from eastern Siberia and Mongolia to northern Japan with wintering grounds in southeast Asia to eastern India. There have also been sightings of falcated teals in America, Poland and Thailand. However, these sightings have been attributed to vagrant ducks and ducks that have escaped from captivity.

• Biogeographic Regions
• palearctic palearctic
  • native native
• oriental oriental
  • native native

Habitat

Falcated teal belong to the order Anseriformes . As such, they are normally found in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers and marshes that are surrounded by forest. They can also be found off the shores of Japan.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate
• polar polar
• saltwater or marine saltwater or marine
• freshwater freshwater

• Terrestrial Biomes
• forest forest

• Aquatic Biomes
• lakes and ponds
• rivers and streams
• coastal coastal

• Wetlands
• marsh marsh

Physical Description

Males and females are similar in length at 46 to 53 cm. Their weights range from 422 to 770 g, with males being slightly lighter than females. Their wingspans are 79 to 91 cm.

Both sexes have black bills, a brown iris, gray to yellowish colored legs, and an iridescent green speculum on each wing.

Males in breeding plumage have a crested head which is iridescent green and purple in color. They also have a white neck and a white spot just above the bill. Their bodies are gray and black. Their most interesting characteristic is their uniquely shaped tertial feathers; they are falcated, or sickle-shaped, and extend over the other wing feathers. Males in eclipse appear more like the females.

Females are brown and white in color and do not have the falcated tertial feathers. They look very similar to gadwalls , though falcated teal have a small crest on their head and their speculums are green.

Juveniles have plumage similar to that of females.

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• homoiothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• male larger
• sexes colored or patterned differently
• male more colorful
• sexes shaped differently

Reproduction

Falcated teal form strong seasonal monogamous pairs and have a very intricate courtship ritual.

Females begin with an inciting call. They then perform a display that includes pointing their bills, lifting their chins and emitting soft rrr sounds. This display is reminiscent of that of gadwalls . They also perform an introductory shake display and preen behind the wings of favored males. Lastly, males make a hoarse gak-gak call when they are displaying.

Males use displays that are widely used throughout the Anas genus. These include an exaggerated introductory shake, a neck-stretching burp call, a grunt-whistle and a head-up-tail-up display.

• Mating System
• monogamous monogamous

The breeding season for falcated teal is from May to early July. They make their nests on the ground near water, usually in tall grass or brush. Clutch sizes range from six to nine cream colored eggs. Incubation time ranges from 24 to 26 days and time to fledging is 45 to 60 days.

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• fertilization fertilization
• oviparous oviparous

Females have a higher parental investment than males. They incubate the eggs for 24 to 26 days and then take care of the chicks until they are fully fledged, which is 45 to 60 days after hatching. Males tend to stay near the nesting site only for the first half of the incubation period.

• Parental Investment
• precocial precocial
• female parental care female parental care
• pre-fertilization
  • provisioning
  • protecting
    • male
    • female
• pre-hatching/birth
  • provisioning
    • male
    • female
  • protecting
    • male
    • female
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-independence
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female

Lifespan/Longevity

There is no data on longevity or mean life expectancy of falcated teal.

Behavior

Falcated teal tend to be seen in pairs and small groups. During migration and winter, however, they will be seen in large flocks. They are also often seen migrating and wintering with other Anas species, most commonly gadwalls . Most activity is performed during the day, but migration often occurs at night.

• Key Behaviors
• flies
• natatorial natatorial
• diurnal diurnal
• motile motile
• migratory migratory
• social social

Home Range

Territory size for falcated teal is currently unknown.

Communication and Perception

Along with the intricate courtship displays, males of the species will produce a low trilling whistle and females have a quack that is similar to mallards .

Falcated teal appear to be very social creatures. They have been known to associate with other Anas species while wintering and have been known to produce viable offspring with them.

Like most birds, falcated teal perceive their environments through visual, auditory, tactile and chemical stimuli.

• Communication Channels
• visual visual
• acoustic acoustic

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Falcated teal are mostly herbivorous, and eat vegetable matter, seeds, rice and aquatic plants. Occasionally they also consume small invertebrates and soft shelled mollusks.

• Primary Diet
• herbivore herbivore
  • folivore folivore

• Animal Foods
• insects
• mollusks

• Plant Foods
• leaves
• seeds, grains, and nuts

Predation

Flight is the main defense that falcated teal have against predators. Females' plumage features brownish tones that serve to better camouflage themselves, their nests, and ducklings within their grassy environments.

Humans are known to hunt falcated teal, both for food and their feathers. There is no information on other possible predator species. However, it can be assumed that the predators of other Anas species also prey on falcated teal.

• Anti-predator Adaptations
• cryptic cryptic

Ecosystem Roles

Since falcated teal eat grains and the seeds of plants, it can be assumed that they help to disperse seeds over a wide area.

Falcated teal, like many migratory birds, are host to a large number of parasites. Ectoparasites include ticks, fleas and lice. There are also a vast amount of internal parasites that use these birds as hosts. These include viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoans. Some of the better known diseases that can be carried by falcated teal include: West Nile Virus, Avian Influenza, Avian Pox, Salmonellosis, Staphylococcosis, and E. coli . Many of these can be transferred to other vertebrates, including humans.

• Ecosystem Impact
• disperses seeds

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Over the last few decades, falcated teal have been used as an ornamental species in duck collections. This sets up a market for the raising and selling of this species.

They are also often hunted in the wild and are an important source of food for some of the countries in their range. Their feathers are also harvested and used for a variety of purposes.

• Positive Impacts
• pet trade pet trade
• food food
• body parts are source of valuable material

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

With the number of diseases and parasites that falcated teal can carry, they may be considered a slight risk to humans and their domesticated animals.

• Negative Impacts
• injures humans
  • carries human disease
• causes or carries domestic animal disease causes or carries domestic animal disease

Conservation Status

Currently falcated teal are not threatened, but are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) this species is of least concern. They inhabit a wide geographic range and their population numbers appear to be stable. There are efforts to regulate hunting of all waterfowl, including falcated teal, and to provide alternate employment for some local hunters that may severely decrease local duck populations.

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Stephen Glover (author), Northern Michigan University, Mary Martin (editor), Northern Michigan University, Rachelle Sterling (editor), Special Projects.

References

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Natarajan, V., A. Akthar. 1987. Occurrence of the falcated teal Anas Falcata (Georgi) in Khijadia Bird Sanctuary, Gujarat. Bombay Natural History Society , 84/3: 678.

Ozarowski, D., W. Meissner, M. Skakuj. 1993. First record of the falcated duck ( Anas falcata ) in Poland. Notatki Ornitologiczne , 34/ 3/4: 373-374.

Robertson, I. 1992. Falcated Teal Anas falcata , a New Bird for Thailand. Siam Society. Natural History Bulletin , 40/2: 191-192.

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Soothill, E., P. Whitehead. 1978. Wildfowl of the World . London: Peerage Books.

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2007. "Falcated Duck Identify" (On-line). Whatbird.com. Accessed April 16, 2011 at http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/1076/identification/Falcated_Duck.aspx .