Nature Essays
Male Green-winged Teal Dabbling
The green-winged teal (Anas crecca) is a very small dabbling duck that enjoys the shallow muddy shoreline of Lost Lagoon. An extremely shy bird, the teal enjoys slopping along in the muck, scooping up tasty tidbits while making quiet slurping noises.
This bird surpasses the mallard with its brilliant green colour flashes and outdoes the wood duck’s thin call with a distinctive whistle.
It takes some effort to see these birds, as they are quick to dart into the reeds that grow along the Lost Lagoon shore when people approach. When I do get the chance to spot and photograph one of these little guys, inevitably another photographer comes by and asks about the bird.
The green-winged teal is considered to be a species of “least concern” by conservationists and will continue to make Stanley Park its home for many years to come.