thumb| Eggs at the [[Muséum de Toulouse.]]
The blue-billed teal (Spatula hottentota), also sometimes called spotted teal and formerly Hottentot teal, is a species of dabbling duck of the genus Spatula. It is resident in eastern, southern, and western Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia west to Niger and Nigeria, and south to South Africa and Namibia, and also in Madagascar. It is generally sedentary, but shows nomadic behaviour in response to water requirements, moving away if drought causes wetlands to dry out. This species is omnivorous and prefers smaller shallow bodies of water.
The blue-billed teal is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. The status of the blue-billed teal on the IUCN Red List is Least Concern.
Taxonomy
Spatula hottentota was previously placed in the genus Anas, and in the past called Anas punctata. This name was suppressed owing to confusion over type specimens. It has been also referred as Anas hottentota. and Querquedula hottentota.
Blue-billed teal is currently considered monotypic, with no subspecies being recognised. Birds in Madagascar were formerly sometimes distinguished as a separate subspecies, S. h. delacouri, but this is no longer considered distinct.
Description
Identification
Adult males have dark brown crown contrasting with paler face, throat, breast and side except for a blackish thumb-shaped patch on the ear region. Ducklings have greyish brown underparts and yellowish grey below, the cheeks is paler with pinky puff wash and grey-brown ear patch.
- Length: 330–350 mm
The blue-billed teal prefers habitats with abundant plants with floating leaves and fringe vegetation, including shallow fresh-water swamps, marshes, streams, shallow small lakes and ponds with fringed edges of reeds or papyrus.
Feeding and diet
The blue-billed teal prefers feeding at muddy edges, it will also feed on lands and flooded fields like rice paddies, and in waterside that is disturbed heavily by livestock. Incubation period ranges from 25 to 27 days for naturally incubated clutches. Protecting wetland and waterside vegetation and controlling hunting will help maintain the population.