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A pair of ringed teals standing on a log above the water.
Photo: carancho, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ringed Teal

Callonetta leucophrys

One of the world's smallest ducks, a tree-perching duck of South American wetlands that nests in tree holes.

🦆 Waterfowl
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About the Ringed Teal

Ringed teals live in wetlands and ponds in southern Bolivia, Paraguay, southwestern Brazil, and parts of Argentina and Uruguay. They are one of the smallest ducks in the world, and an adult weighs about 12 ounces. Because they are so small, they can perch on tree branches that larger ducks can't use. They feed on plants by dabbling at the water's surface.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Callonetta leucophrys[1]
Weight
About 12 ounces (340 g).[1]
Diet
Plants, gathered by dabbling.[1]
Habitat
Wetlands and ponds.[1]
Where it lives
Southern Bolivia, Paraguay, southwestern Brazil, and parts of Argentina and Uruguay.[1]
Group life
Pairs form strong bonds; some mate for life.[1]
Babies
6 to 11 eggs in a tree cavity. Both parents incubate.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • Ringed teals are one of the smallest ducks in the world.[1]
  • Unlike most ducks, ringed teals like to perch in trees.[1]
  • Both the male and the female sit on the eggs.[1]

Vocabulary

dabble
To feed at the water's surface by tipping forward with the tail up.
perch
To sit on a branch or other high place.
cavity
A hole or hollow space, like a hole in a tree.
incubate
To keep eggs warm so the babies inside can grow and hatch.
waterfowl
Birds such as ducks, geese and swans that live on or near water.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Saint Louis Zoo. “Ringed Teal.” https://stlzoo.org/animals/birds/waterfowl/ringed-teal (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Callonetta leucophrys (Ringed Teal).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22680101/92843247 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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