Sharp-winged Teal

Sharp-winged Teal (Anas flavirostris oxyptera) is a small species of duck found in South America that is a subspecies of the Yellow-billed Teal. Their 15-to-17-inch body is surprisingly slightly larger than both the Yellow-billed Teal and Yellow-billed Pintail. While this species does have a yellow bill with a broad black stripe painted down the middle, it is just slightly more dull than the Yellow-billed Teal’s bill. Sharp-winged Teal’s bill can appear as a whiteish color on females.

The Sharp-winged Teal head is one of the darkest parts of the body, with very small speckling of dark brown or black on a mid-brown background. The chest, underbelly, and undertail are the lightest of all the body plumage. While the chest is tan with moderate black speckling, the underbelly and tail lack any pattern and are light gray and white. Legs and feet are gray. While in flight, the iridescent dark green speculum that is edged in white plumage is prominent on the overall light brown wings. Females are similar in size and display duller plumage.