Chestnut Teal

A small dabbling duck with a high forehead and rounded head. Males have a distinctive glossy green head, chestnut brown neck, breast and flanks, dark brown upper body and wings, and a black undertail with contrasting white patch. Females are mottled dark brown and grey, with a pale throat streaked brown and a dark eye stripe. In both sexes the eye is a deep red, the bill is blue-grey and the legs and feet are green-grey. The wings have a dark glossy green to purple speculum (panel) edged white and the underwing is brown, with white wing pits. It eats seeds and insects, along with some vegetation, as well as molluscs and crustaceans. It mainly feeds at the water's edge and also dabbles for food while swimming in the water, up-ends to bottom feed or takes food from the surface.