Wild Bird Species the Madagascar Teal

The story behind the Madagascar Teal

Madagascar is a beautiful country on an island in the Indian Ocean. It is appreciated for beaches, rain forests, pepper, vanilla and Lemurs. It is home to the rarest duck on our planet, the Madagascar Teal (formerly called Bernier's Teal). The Madagascar Teal was first discovered in 1860. Soon after, the Teal was believed to be extinct until a small group was noticed and rediscovered in 1960, a hundred years later.

The Teal is small, weighing less than a pound and is about 16-inches long. They have a relatively long neck and large eyes. Their plumage is soft brown and their wings have a lustrous patch of deep green or black, bordered in the front with white. During the Madagascar dry season (December to March), they make their homes in wetland areas such as marshes, swamps and rivers. They are a dabbling duck, meaning they do not submerge in water. Their preference is shallow water with nutrient-rich mud. Teals dip and then sift water from food using their bill. In the wet season, they are more likely to be found on the edge of flooded tropical forests. They feed mainly at dawn and dusk on a diet of insects, worms, seeds and water plants.

The Teal breed during and after the wet season. They are monogamous and may stay paired for several seasons. The female lays around six eggs in nests built in holes or hollows in tree trunks. The eggs hatch after 28 days. Both male and female look after the young and may become aggressive with intruders. Ducklings are born able to move and eat on their own. Six weeks after hatching they can fly. There is an estimate of only 1,500 to 2,500 Madagascar Teal living free. There are around 300 in captivity, all on loan from Madagascar.

Man is responsible for massive loss of the Teal's natural habitat. In clearing forests for rice plantations and prawn ponds, we destr oy their homes. Hunting for sport and subsistence has further reduced their small population. The Madagascar Teal is critically endangered and in need of protection. Breeding Programs at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Center are meeting with success. In 1993 when the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust began its program, they acquired four wild Teal. Unfortunately, male and female look so much alike, they ended up with four males. Two years later, two female were finally added, and the breeding program got started. At last, in 1998, the first breeding of a pair of Madagascar Teal in captivity took place. The Center, Sylvan Heights and other wildlife protective agencies are dedicated to preserving the Teal and other waterfowl by increasing their number both in captivity and in the wild.

Do your part. Be aware, stay educated, and support conservation efforts. Why not adopt a Madagascar Teal? This is possible through a wildlife program offered by the Zoological Society of London. Do it for yourself or as a special gift that keeps on giving. Along with supporting the desperately endangered Madagascar Teal, you will receive color photos, an adoption certificate and a subscription to Wild About magazine.

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