Cape Teal - Five Sisters Zoo

Individuals have plumage that is mainly grey and brown. It is also distinctly spotted. Adults have a long light pink bill with a narrow black margin and base.

Facts

  • Diet: omnivorous
  • Weight: 300 to 500 grams.
  • Length:  44 to 46 centimetres
  • Habitat: wetlands, marine and coastal regions of the centre and south of Africa
  • Life span:  20 to 30 years

Adapted to Survive

  • Non-migratory but will move with the rainfall and seasonal conditions, looking for resources
  • Individuals have a bill that is made from keratin and covered with skin
  • Individuals will eat aquatic insects, larvae, and some plants
  • They are opportunistic breeders, varying their breeding time with rainfall
  • Individuals scoop underwater vegetation and, with their lamellae (the comb-like filters on ducks’ bills), filter it to separate it from water and mud

Threats

  • Susceptible to avian botulism, which can be caused by sewage-contaminated ponds
  • Habitat loss, destruction and degradation of wetlands

IUCN Conservation Status

Least Concern

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