Andaman teal

The Andaman teal (Anas albogularis) is a species of duck endemic to the Andaman archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. The species was formerly considered as a subspecies of the Sunda teal.

Andaman teal
Illustration by Keulemans (1908)
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Anseriformes
Family:	Anatidae
Genus:	Anas
Species:	A. albogularis
Binomial name
Anas albogularis (Hume, 1873)
Synonyms[2]
Mareca albogularis Hume, 1873 Nettium albigulare Nettion albigulare

Taxonomy

The first formal description of the Andaman teal was by the English ornithologist Allan Octavian Hume in 1873 under the binomial name Mareca albogularis.^[3] It is now placed with many other dabbling ducks in the genus Anas.^[4] It was formerly considered as a subspecies of the Sunda teal (Anas gibberifrons) that is found in Indonesia.^[4]

Description

The species is dark brown with buffy markings. The face and throat are pale with a white ring around the eye. The bill is bluish grey and the iris is red.^[5]

Distribution and habitat

Andaman teals are endemic to the Andaman Islands (India) and Great Coco Island (Burma). They are found in inland pools as well as mangroves and lagoons.^[6][7] A population estimate of 500 to 600 individuals was made in a survey conducted in 1995–98, and 674 were counted in 2005.^[8] Their population has been on the increase for the last few decades, and was most recently estimated in 2014 to have slightly more than 1,000 individuals.^[1]

Behaviour

They feed at night in rice fields. The breeding season is July to October and nests in reed patches. The nest is made of grass and about nine eggs forms the clutch.^[9] They were formerly considered to breed in tree hollows but recent studies found no evidence. They feed mainly on molluscs and arthropods.^[8]

References

1. BirdLife International (2017). "Anas albogularis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22727280A110106998. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22727280A110106998.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
2. Richmond Index card
3. Hume, Allan Octavian (1873). "Novelties: Mareca albogularis, Sp. Nov.". Stray Feathers. 1 (2, 3, 4): 303–304.
4. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2017). "Screamers, ducks, geese & swans". World Bird List Version 7.3. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
5. Rasmussen, P. C.; Anderton, J. C. (2005). Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Vol. 2. Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions. p. 75.
6. Inglis, C. M. (1904). "The Oceanic, or Andaman Teal Nettium alligulare". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 15 (3): 525.
7. Wilson, N. F. (1904). "The Oceanic, or Andaman Teal Nettium albigulare". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 15 (3): 525–526.
8. Vijayan, L (2006). "Ecology and conservation of the Andaman Teal". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 103 (2): 231–238.
9. Kulkarni, S.; Chandi, M. (2003). "Note on breeding of Andaman Teal Anas gibberifrons in south Andaman Islands, India". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 100 (1): 112–113.

Andaman Teals gather at Ograbraj wetlands