Grey Teal are unassuming small ducks and there is something about them that I like, a lot.
Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)
Grey Teal are Australia’s most widespread waterfowl (according to Pizzey and Knight). They are greyish brown and each feather is delicately edged with cream, apart from the rump feathers. The bill is very dark green and their eyes are red. Grey Teal are easily confused with female Chestnut Teal, and this confusion is exacerbated by the fact that the two species are happy to forage together. A key identifier is that Grey Teal have white throats. Male Chestnut Teal are easy to distinguish from Greys as they have a dark green, glossy head and rich chestnut coloured underparts.
Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)
Grey Teal are about 44cm in length and eat a mixture of flora and critters from dry land and in water. They are interesting to watch as they feed in various ways including dabbling, upending and pottering about on land.
Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)
The long-distance preening shot, above, made me smile. The teal’s colouring looks warmer in the late afternoon light but I’m pretty sure it’s a grey as its throat looks too white for a chestnut.
Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)
Warning – the following section talks about duck hunting in Victoria.
Grey Teal look sweet to me, gentle, and it’s upsetting to know that they are one of the species the Victorian government allows to be hunted during Duck Hunting Season which this year began on 15 March and is due to close on the 9th June. It’s deplorable that the government allows this ‘sport’ to shatter the tranquility of the states waterways and destroy native wildlife. The ‘game’ ducks that hunters are permitted to kill are Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Shelduck (Mountain Duck), Australian (Blue-winged) Shoveler, Chestnut Teal, Pink-eared Duck, Australian Wood Duck and Hardhead.
Bag limits of 10 birds per day are permitted but rarely enforced and the toll on bird life isn’t restricted to the permitted birds. Shooters (from the age of 12) are supposed to be able to identify waterfowl but despite that birds shot include Black Swan, threatened Freckled Duck (one of the world’s rarest waterbirds), Red-necked Avocet, Whistling Kite, Eurasian Coot, Purple Swamphen, Blue-billed Duck, Musk Duck, Galah, ibis, owls, spoonbills and grebe. In 2011 a rescuer was shot and almost lost the sight in her eye. The Coalition Against Duck Hunting (also on Facebook) works tirelessly despite facing many legal and other obstacles as they strive to ultimately have duck shooting banned and in the meantime to rescue injured ducks and raise public awareness of the carnage.
Images posted by the Coalition Against Duck Hunting are heartbreaking; row after row of dead Freckled Duck and other species. Emails to Denis Napthine, the Victorian Premier, advocating for an end to duck hunting would be much appreciated by our waterbirds: denis.napthine@parliament.vic.gov.au
I hadn’t intended to write about duck hunting, I thought I was going to write a happy post about one of my favourite birds. I guess if it results in even one more person supporting the Coalition Against Duck Hunting, or writing to the premier, then it has been a happy post after all.
Happy birding, Kim
PS An earlier post features Endangered Freckled Duck
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