Chestnut Teal
Anas castanea
Also known as: Chestnut-Breasted Teal
Habitat
Aquatic
Diet
PlantSeed
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
624 g
About This Species
Look for this duck on sheltered coastal lagoons, estuaries and salt marshes as well as inland wetlands, usually in pairs or small groups dabbling and up-ending at the water's surface for plant material and invertebrates. The male's dark chestnut body and pale-flecked head are distinctive at close range, while both sexes show a bold white flank patch in flight. Autumn and winter concentrations on sheltered estuarine waters tend to offer the most reliable views, particularly around dawn and dusk when feeding activity picks up.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Watching from a hide, vehicle or a fixed distance along the shoreline rather than walking directly toward feeding birds avoids flushing them, since repeated disturbance on wintering grounds can force birds to waste energy relocating.
- Wetland birds like this are covered by general wildlife protection law in most of their range, though the specific rules and any hunting seasons differ by country and jurisdiction, so check local regulations rather than assuming one set of rules applies everywhere.
- Giving nesting birds and broods extra space in spring and summer reduces the risk of abandonment.
Seasonal Activity
441,762 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
Traits
- Diet
- PlantSeed
- Foraging
- Aquatic
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 624 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.