Spatula puna
The Puna Teal, scientifically known as *Spatula puna*, is a strikingly elegant dabbling duck native to the high-altitude wetlands of the Andes. Measuring approximately 48-50 cm (19-20 inches) in length with a weight of 500-600 grams, it is characterized by its distinctive black cap and nape, contrasting with a pale, almost white face and throat. Its most notable feature is its vibrant sky-blue bill, adorned with a bright yellow base and a distinct black line running along the culmen. The body...
Found primarily in shallow, often brackish or alkaline, high-altitude lakes and lagoons of the Andean Puna and Altiplano, typically between 3,500 and 4,700 meters (11,500-15,400 feet) elevation.
Primarily herbivorous, consuming aquatic vegetation, seeds, and rootlets, supplemented with a small proportion of aquatic invertebrates, such as insect larvae and small crustaceans, obtained through dabbling and filter-feeding.
Puna Teals are largely diurnal, spending their days foraging and resting, often congregating in large flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixing with other waterfowl species. They are dabbling ducks, typically feeding by filtering water and sifting through mud with their specialized bil...
The Puna Teal is endemic to the high Andes of South America, with its primary distribution across Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile, and northwestern Argentina. Its range is concentrated in the Puna grassland ecoregion, characterized by high-altitude wetlands, shallow lakes, and bogs, generally found...
Least Concern
- The Puna Teal's striking sky-blue bill with a yellow base is a unique field mark, unlike almost any other duck species globally. - Despite its common name, it was once considered a subspecies of the Silver Teal (*Spatula versicolor*) but was elevated to full species status due to morphological ...