Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Blue-billed Teal (Spatula hottentota)
Blue-billed Teal

Blue-billed Teal

Spatula hottentota

The Blue-billed Teal, also known as the Spotted Teal or by its scientific name Spatula hottentota, is a diminutive and charming dabbling duck. It is recognized by its distinctive light bluish-gray bill, which stands out against its predominantly brown plumage. This species is monotypic, meaning it has no recognized subspecies.

Identification Tips

Adult males exhibit a dark brown crown contrasting with a paler face, throat, breast, and sides, save for a blackish patch near the ear. Their necks and breasts are adorned with black spots that extend to the flanks and abdomen, becoming more vermiculated towards the posterior. The scapulars and tail are dark, with the upper wing surface showing a greenish gloss. A striking iridescent green speculum is present on the secondaries, framed by black and white bars. Females are less vivid, with browner crowns and less pronounced facial markings. Juveniles resemble females but are duller and less distinctly marked.

Habitat

The Blue-billed Teal favors environments rich in floating-leaf vegetation and fringe plants, such as shallow freshwater swamps, marshes, streams, and small lakes with reedy or papyrus edges. They are often found dabbling in the twilight and night hours in shallow waters, retreating to deeper, safer parts of the marsh by day.

Distribution

This species is found across eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia west to Niger and Nigeria, and south to South Africa and Namibia. In West Africa and Madagascar, it is sedentary, while in other regions, it may undertake short migrations in response to water availability.

Behaviour

The Blue-billed Teal is partly migratory, with movements linked to water levels. It is a sociable bird, often seen in small groups or pairs. Breeding can occur year-round, depending on rainfall, with nests constructed above water in tree stumps, lined with vegetation.

Song & Calls

Both sexes emit a series of clicking notes when disturbed or in flight. Males have a unique wooden rattling call, while females produce a typical quack and a shorter decrescendo call.

Breeding

Breeding behavior is understated, with bonds likely forming annually. Courtship displays include head-turning and silent inciting movements by the female, with males responding in various ways, including a soft burping call. Clutch sizes range from 6 to 8 eggs, with incubation lasting 25 to 27 days. Males may remain nearby during incubation, but do not participate in brood rearing.

Similar Species

There are no similar species that would cause confusion with the Blue-billed Teal due to its unique coloration and size.

Diet and Feeding

Omnivorous, the Blue-billed Teal feeds on grass seeds, particularly those of Sacciolepis, and aquatic invertebrates like crustaceans, molluscs, and water insects. It forages by dabbling, swimming, or walking, often in well-vegetated areas.

Conservation status

The Blue-billed Teal is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. However, habitat degradation poses a threat to its populations. Conservation efforts include protecting wetlands and controlling hunting to ensure the species' survival.

Blue-billed Teal Sounds


Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Blue-billed Teals on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Ducks, Geese, Swans

A photo of a Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) , male

Mandarin Duck

Aix galericulata
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
EandB17
Terrific App for Birders
Downloaded Birda around the time my interest in birding was sparked, and it has been a terrific app to help me (1) share my experience, (2) document my sightings, and (3) learn more about birds in general. That said, I also believe Birda is a fantastic app for birders of all experience levels. Great community!
Nedz53
Really useful
Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Alex J
Friendly and helps to identify birds
Great birding app, good for logging your sightings, also has nice species guide. I'm enjoying the social aspect more than I expected, everyone seems friendly and helps to identify unknown birds. Good mix of newbies and experienced users.
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.