There’s a specific kind of magic that happens when the sun hits the water at just the right angle, turning a river into a basin of liquid gold. It’s in these quiet, shimmering moments that the Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) truly shines. Often overlooked due to their small size, these ducks are a masterclass in nature’s palette—boasting brilliant emerald eye patches and intricate, vermiculated plumage. In this series, I’ve captured a few of these ’emerald gems’ as they preen, drift, and navigate the golden ripples of their winter home.
In the first image, you see the daily ritual of a male Green-winged Teal. One duck is seen preening its feathers. The sunlight highlights the striking cinnamon-colored head and the deep-green wing patches (specula), generally more noticeable in flight.
The low camera angle here emphasizes the bird’s intricate “vermiculated” (fine wavy line) pattern on its grey feathers and the signature white vertical bar on its side. That white bar is the key field mark that distinguishes the North American subspecies from the Eurasian Common Teal, which has a horizontal white stripe instead! You can see the vertical bar in the next photo, too.
This image focuses on the cinnamon-colored head, with a gleaming green accent that runs from the eye to the back of the head, against a shimmering liquid-gold background.
Swimming calmly on golden-brown water, this duck shows its detailed grey flank, the white vertical shoulder stripe, and the iridescent teal accent running from the eye to the back of its head.
From the All About Birds website, Green-winged Teal ducks measure 12.2-15.3 in (31-39 cm) in length and weigh 4.9-17.6 oz (140-500 g) with a wingspan of 20.5-23.2 in (52-59 cm).
I photographed these Green-winged Teal ducks in the San Gabriel River at San Gabriel Park’s Katy Crossing area. That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Bird of the Week, Georgetown, Green-Winged Teal, Katy Crossing, Parks, San Gabriel Park, San Gabriel River, Texas, and Wildlife. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
Posted for I.J. Khanewala’s Birds of the Week Invitation CLVIII.
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I. J. Khanewala
Wonderful photos. I specially liked that unusual “action shot” of the duck shaking off the water.
There’s a strange WordPress problem. The link in your post works, but the pingback does not appear in mine. I’ve seen this happen sometimes before. If you respond to the invitation in future, would you please also leave a link in a comment?
Egidio Leitao
I liked that shaking shot, too, I.J. It was so different. Thanks for your comment.
About WP, I went ahead and added this post’s link in yours. Thanks for pointing it out.
Pepper
Beautiful coloring that sparkles in the sunshine. 👏
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Pepper. They are beautiful ducks.
Anne Sandler
Great captures Egidio! And just at the right time.
Egidio Leitao
Exactly, Anne. The time was perfect. Thank you.
Toonsarah
A beautiful duck and that golden water shows it off so well 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Sarah. I was there at the right time.
Anita
What a beautiful serie, Egidio. The first image with the two teals glowing in that golden light is especially striking. And your third photo is also a favourite, that emerald shimmer is just gorgeous. It’s impressive how much detail you’ve captured in these tiny ducks. A wonderful set of Green‑winged Teal moments.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the compliments. I love walking that trail because of the variety of water fowl in the river. That afternoon was great.