The Chestnut Teals (Anas castanea) are Dabbling Ducks found in southern Australia. They prefer coastal estuaries and wetlands, and is indifferent to salinity.
Description:
The male has a mottled brown plumage, except for a distinctive green colored head.
The female has a mottled brown plumage and a brown head. The female is almost identical to the Grey Teal.
Nesting / Breeding
Chestnut Teals build down-lines nests in tree stumps or on the ground. Both parents incubate the eggs.
Diet / Feeding:
This bird is an omnivore.
Ducks generally feed on larvae and pupae often found under rocks, as well as aquatic animals, plant material, seeds, small fish, snails and crabs.
Feeding Ducks …
We all enjoy these beautiful birds and many of us offer them food to encourage them to come over and stay around – and it works! Who doesn’t like an easy meal!
However, the foods that we traditionally feed them at local ponds are utterly unsuitable for them and are likely to cause health problems down the road. Also, there may be local laws against feeding this species of bird – so it’s best to check on that rather than facing consequences at a later stage.
- Foods that can be fed to Ducks, Geese and Swans to survive cold winters and remain healthy when food is scarce in their environment.
Please note that feeding ducks and geese makes them dependent on humans for food, which can result in starvation and possibly death when those feedings stop. If you decide to feed them, please limit the quantity to make sure that they maintain their natural ability to forage for food themselves – providing, of course, that natural food sources are available.
Relevant Resources
