Ringed Teal

Distinct Vocalizations

Female teals emit harsh quacking vocalizations, while males communicate with drawn out whistles. Vocalizations are used in social situations and as alert mechanisms when danger is eminent.

Dabbling

The Ringed teal is typically a surface feeder and uses its coarse lamellae-like teeth to trim and consume vegetation. It also immerses its head, neck and chest to pull vegetation to the top of the water’s surface. This behavior is called dabbling. This small duck dives underwater to evade predators, but will not dive deeper than one meter (3.3 feet).

Perching Ducks

Unlike other ducks, this little bird perches in trees. It achieves perching because of its elongated toes with pointed claws on the feet, which allows for stable perching ability.