Andaman Teal Anas albogularis Scientific name definitions

37–47 cm; male 400 g, female 340 g (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); wingspan 60–67 cm. Fairly small cinnamon-brown dabbling duck with white markings on throat and around eye (extent varies considerably and individually), and rest of head is dark blackish brown; also has a short white line below speculum formed by white tips to outer one or two secondaries. Allopatric <em>A. gibberifrons</em> (formerly treated as conspecific with present species) lacks the white markings on the head and the white below the speculum, and the present species never shows an obvious bulbous forehead .

Andaman Is and Great Coco I.

Highly adaptable to all types of wetlands , with shallow, fresh, brackish or saline waters; often on temporarily flooded areas, in mangroves, as well as creeks and rice paddies (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Mostly sedentary, albeit perhaps nomadic and occasionally lands on sea, with single historical record in S Myanmar (3 Young, H.G. (1996). Grey teals in Asia. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 24: 54–57. Close , 4 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ) and species perhaps does not breed on all islands within its range (5 Vijayan, L. (2009). Conservation of birds of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Indian Birds 5(4):103–107. Close ).

Diet basically unknown, athough presumably similar to that of A. gracilis. Feeds by dabbling, mud filtering in shallow water and by picking up insects and seeds. Considered shy and feeds mainly at night, frequently in rice fields (4 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ).

Vocalizations very poorly described—a low soft whistle and low quacking note have been mentioned) (4 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2005). Birds of South Asia: the Ripley Guide. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close )—although not suspected to differ significantly from A. gracilis (or A. castanea) (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

Starts breeding in Jul–Aug (3 Young, H.G. (1996). Grey teals in Asia. Bull. Oriental Bird Club. 24: 54–57. Close ). In single pairs or loose groups; uses pools 20–50 cm deep, typically brackish and 50–100 m from the high-tide line, for nesting, with nests being sited 20–35 cm above water level, in reeds or tree-holes, and 20–50 cm from open water (5 Vijayan, L. (2009). Conservation of birds of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Indian Birds 5(4):103–107. Close ). Usually 7–8 cream-coloured eggs (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ), size 47·3–51·2 mm × 35·7–37·3 mm, mass c. 36 g (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); incubation c. 26–30 days by female alone, guarded by male (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); chicks have dark brown down above, off-white below, with slate-black to blue-grey bill and slate-grey legs (6 Young, H.G. and Brayshaw, M. (2004). The downy young of grey teal (Anatidae) with first descriptions of the ducklings of Madagascar Teal Anas bernieri and Indonesian Teal A. gibberifrons. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. 124(1): 62–68. Close ); fledging period unknown. Very few quantatitive data on breeding success (1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Sexual maturity at one year. Almost nothing known concerning adult survival and longevity.

VULNERABLE. Restricted-range species: confined to the Andaman Islands EBA. Formerly common, but is possibly in danger due to agricultural development and drainage of wetlands, with the total number of individuals speculated to be c. 500–600 in the 1990s and early 2000s (5 Vijayan, L. (2009). Conservation of birds of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Indian Birds 5(4):103–107. Close , 1 Kear, J., Editor (2005). Ducks, Geese and Swans. Volume 1: General chapters, and Species accounts (Anhima to Salvadorina). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Numbers currently appear to be stable or increasing, with 69–582 individuals counted in 1995–1998, 674 in 2003/04, with flocks of 400–500 noted in 2013 and 2014, thus the total population is likely to exceed 1000 individuals. Human disturbance to the species’ habitat, due to irrigation, fishing and hunting, is considerable. Very little of its habitat is protected, and historically the largest flocks have been recorded in the least disturbed areas.