Green-winged Teal

The Green-winged Teal is a casual visitor to campus: up to ten were seen 27 Nov 2011-11 Mar 2012 and one was seen 12 Sep 2012 in the flooded basins around Badger Hill. It is a common winter visitor throughout southern California where it can be found on ponds, lakes, marshes, or any open body of water.The adult male Green-winged Teal can be identified by its chestnut head with a broad green eye stripe that, and mostly gray body with a vertical white stripe near the breast and buffy flank patch. Females are mottled brown overall with a black bill and appear small. Both sexes have an iridescent green speculum (feathers on the rear edge of the upper wing) with a buffy border along the leading edge.