Baikal Teal

The breeding male Baikal Teal is unmistakable, featuring a highly intricate head pattern with alternating stripes of green, yellow, and black. It has a pinkish breast with dark spots and distinctive gray, sickle-shaped scapular feathers over its back. This complex plumage makes it one of the most ornately patterned ducks in the world.

This species breeds in eastern Siberia and northern China before migrating south for the winter. The vast majority of the population winters in East Asia, particularly in the coastal wetlands of South Korea and Japan. They are known to form massive, densely packed flocks during the wintering months.

The Baikal Teal is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, a significant improvement from previous decades when it was considered Vulnerable. Historically, massive hunting and habitat loss decimated their numbers, but strict protections in South Korea and China have allowed their population to rebound into the millions.

As a dabbling duck, the Baikal Teal feeds primarily on the surface of the water or by tipping upside down to reach aquatic vegetation and seeds in shallow water. They also forage on land in agricultural fields, often eating grains and rice. Their diet shifts seasonally depending on what plants are available in their wetland habitats.