Bernier's teal, also known as Madagascar teal, is a species of duck in the genus Anas. It is endemic to Madagascar, where it is found only along the west coast. Part of the "grey teal" complex found throughout Australasia, it is most closely related to the Andaman teal.
Taxonomy
The Bernier's teal was first described by the German ornithologist Gustav Hartlaub in 1860 under the binomial nameQuerquedula bernieri. It is one of many dabbling ducks in the genus Anas. It is one of the "grey teals", a group of related ducks found across Australasia. DNA studies suggest that it may have been a sister species with Sauzier's teal. Studies further suggest that its closest living relative is the Andaman teal, and confirm that it is related to the gray teal. There are no subspecies. The duck's common and species names both commemorate Chevalier Bernier, a French naval surgeon and naturalist who collected nearly 200 specimens of various species while stationed in Madagascar. The genus nameAnas is a Latin word meaning "duck".
Description
This is a small duck, measuring in length, and ranging from in mass; males average slightly heavier than females. Adult and immature birds of both sexes look the same, though males are slightly larger than females. The plumage is predominantly warm brown. The bill is reddish, and the legs and feet are a dull reddish-orange.
Range and habitat
Bernier's teal is endemic to the island of Madagascar, where it is found in mangrove forests. It rarely leaves this habitat, where it favors open shallow ponds and lakes, mostly brackish. Its range encompasses the whole of the west coast and the extreme north-east. It is known to breed at a few sites, central and north-west coasts. Subfossil evidence from the Holocene period shows that the teal formerly had a much wider distribution across the island.
Behaviour
Voice
The male Bernier's teal whistles, while the female's call is described as "a croaking quak".
Diet and feeding
Bernier's teal typically spends much of its day actively feeding. It wades at the edge of shallow water, filtering mud and dabbling at the water's surface. It feeds on invertebrates, plant materials, and insects.
Breeding
All known nests of wild Bernier's teal have been found either above or close to water in grey mangrove trees, in holes above the water's surface. In captivity, the species will also use nest boxes. The birds add no materials to the nest. Instead, the female lays her eggs directly on floor of the cavity, covering them initially with wood shavings or rotting bits of wood and later with down feathers from her own breast. In captivity, clutch sizes varied from 3 to 9, with an average of 6.75 eggs per female. The eggs are pale buff in colour, smooth and elliptical in shape, measuring on average. This is smaller than the eggs of any of the other "grey teals". Only the female incubates the eggs.
