Cape Teal
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Family: Anatidae
Order: Anseriformes
Class: Aves
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
African Cape Teal, also known as Cape Wigeons, are small, attractive ducks that are a pale, mottled gray throughout, with distinctive pink bills and reddish eyes. The speculum is green and black, and is bordered broadly with white in front and behind. They are about 14 inches long. Differences in appearance between the sexes are minimal with females being slightly smaller, paler and less speckled and males may have undeveloped crests that can be heightened in times of excitement.
DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT:
Most numerous in the drier regions throughout Southern Africa, Cape Teal frequent shallow lakes and marshes in open country, but also lagoons, estuaries and tidal flats. They are mainly a nocturnal species, usually keeping to themselves in pairs or small flocks, and spend much of their time ashore.
BEHAVIOR:
Cape Teal are one of the few species of dabbling ducks that dive, and are surprisingly capable of swimming underwater with closed wings like true diving ducks. Other dabbling ducks dive in this way but they usually open their wings while under water. Generally Cape Teal display on any occasion throughout the year and their preflight movements are like that of other dabbler species in which neck-jerking and lateral head shaking is common. Neither sex is very vocal, but males have a clear high-pitched whistle and the call of the female is that of a nasal sounding quack.
Several courtship behaviors are unique to the Cape Teal such as nod swimming, which is a rapid scooting over the water surface in a semi-circle, with the wings positioned so that the speculum is showing. Contrary to its name, nod swimming is preformed without a nodding movement. Both sexes display this behavior in the same way, and often nod swimming is done concurrently by both males and females.
Mating behavior is unusual in many ways as well, beginning with a mutual preening behind the wing and followed by mutual head pumping. Males perform head-up-tail-up behaviors during courtship as well, which involves spreading the tail and raising the wings so that the speculum is showing, finishing by lowering the wing and pointing the bill towards the female. There is no nod swimming afterwards as the male remains in a motionless posture facing the female.
DIET:
Cape Teal feed by head dipping (or dabbling) on both plant and animal material that includes water plants, plankton, crustaceans and tadpoles. These birds have tooth-like projections bordering the bill, which suggests that filter feeding may be important to this species.
BREEDING:
Cape Teal breed throughout the year, but most often between March and May. Nest sites are usually located in dense vegetation and not necessarily located near water. Brood size is between seven to eight pale to deep cream colored eggs that are incubated by the female for 25 to 26 days.
Cape Teal are one of the few species of dabbling ducks in which the male remains with the female and plays an active part in raising the young. Because both parents raise the ducklings, fewer offspring die. Cape Teal are good parents and will vigorously defend their young even against larger birds.
Cape teal are not an endangered species and the population may be increasing as a result of the development of dams, reservoirs and irrigation projects.
(Mahalo to Leeward Community College's Zoology 101 Class for their contribution)
