Marbled Teal
Marmaronetta angustirostris
- Habitat: Wetlands, brackish waters rich in vegetation.
- Range: Fragmented distribution; eastern and western Mediterranean region, north and sub-Saharan west Africa, Iran, Pakistan and northwest India.
- Natural Diet: Aquatic plants (seeds, roots, tubers, green parts); also aquatic insects, larvae, mollusks, worms.
- Status in the Wild: THREATENED
Fun Facts
-
Marbled teal are sandy-brown in color with white blotches that give them a marbled appearance
-
They are medium-sized dabbling ducks and they live in wetlands and marshlands in the Mediterranean region
-
This species is gregarious even during breeding season when flocks of teal build nests close to one another.
-
Females are dull colored which helps them camouflage from predators. They lay 7 to 10 eggs in a clutch.
-
They are excellent swimmers and divers
Conservation Threats
-
It has been recorded that 50% of their habitat may have been destroyed in this century.
-
Hydrological work and wetland drainage is known to have had a detrimental effect on several breeding sites in their distibutional range.
-
Marbled teal population numbers have also depleted due to illegal hunting.
