How to identify it
North America's smallest dabbling duck, 31-38 cm. [1]
Male: chestnut head with a green ear patch, a vertical white bar on the side of the chest and a yellow patch under the tail. [1]
Female: small size, strong dark eyeline and grey bill. [1]
Eurasian form (male) has a white stripe along the back and lacks the white chest bar; females of the two forms cannot be safely separated. [1]
Compared with the blue-winged teal: A female green-winged teal is identified by its small size, strong eyeline and grey bill, per Audubon; check wing pattern against blue-winged teal. [1]
Compared with the eurasian (common) teal: The Eurasian male has a white horizontal back stripe and lacks the vertical white chest bar. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Blue-winged teal · Spatula discors
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify Green-winged teal from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
In summer, open country near shallow freshwater lakes and marshes. In migration and winter, coastal estuaries and tidal marshes and shallow inland lakes and ponds with abundant standing or floating vegetation. [1]
How it behaves
Flocks fly very fast with rapid twisting and turning in unison; usually small flocks, but thousands may gather in winter or at migration stopovers. [1]
Often rests out of the water, even standing on low snags or branches. [1]
Main fall migration is late, mostly October to early December; winters farther north than other teal. [1]
Feeds by wading or swimming in very shallow water, filtering mud, up-ending or picking from the surface, by day or night. [1]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Alberta — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
- British Columbia — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Canada (federal migratory birds) — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022 (SOR/2022-105), Schedule Parts 7-13 (MB, SK, AB, BC, NT, YT, NU)
- New Brunswick — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 4 (New Brunswick) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Newfoundland and Labrador — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 1 (Newfoundland and Labrador) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Nova Scotia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 3 (Nova Scotia) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Ontario — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 6 (Ontario) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Prince Edward Island — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 2 (Prince Edward Island) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Québec — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, Schedule 3, Part 5 (Quebec) (current to 2026-09-21)
- Saskatchewan — migratory bird hunting · Saskatchewan Hunters Guide 2026-27
- Alabama — migratory bird hunting · Waterfowl Seasons 2026-2027 (ADCNR)
- Arkansas — migratory bird hunting · Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules & Regulations (2026-27) · 2026-27 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook (PDF)
- Colorado — migratory bird hunting · 2 CCR 406-5 Chapter W-5 Migratory Birds (03/04/2026; eff. 2026-05-01)
- Connecticut — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 CT Migratory Bird Hunting Guide
- Delaware — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide: Migratory Bird Seasons & Bag Limits
- Florida — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Florida Migratory Bird Hunting Season Dates and Bag Limits (FWC)
- Georgia — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Season Dates - Migratory Birds (WRD 1-page synopsis, linked from georgiawildlife.com/migratory-bird-info)
- Idaho — migratory bird hunting · Idaho Migratory Game Bird 2026-2027 Seasons & Rules
- Illinois — migratory bird hunting · Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-2027 (PDF read from cached copy of the digest linked on this page)
- Indiana — migratory bird hunting · Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide 2026-2027: Waterfowl & Migratory Bird Regulations
- Iowa — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Iowa Hunting, Trapping & Migratory Game Bird Regulations (DNR PDF; page numbers cited)
- Kansas — migratory bird hunting · Kansas Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, Fall 2025-Spring 2026
- Kentucky — migratory bird hunting · Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, August 2026-March 2027
- Louisiana — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting Regulations (updated Aug 7, 2026)
- Maryland — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Maryland Guide to Hunting & Trapping (official guide, linked from dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide)
- Minnesota — migratory bird hunting · Minnesota Hunting & Trapping Regulations (effective July 2026 - June 30, 2027)
- Mississippi — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Hunting Seasons (MDWFP PDF) · Migratory Gamebird Digest 2026-27 (MDWFP)
- Missouri — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest 2026-2027 (cached PDF from MDC regulations page)
- Montana — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Waterfowl, Sandhill Cranes, Mourning Doves & Snipe Regulations
- Nebraska — migratory bird hunting · Small Game & Waterfowl Guide 2025-2026
- New Mexico — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 New Mexico Migratory Game Bird Supplement
- North Carolina — migratory bird hunting · Proclamation: 2026-2027 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons (NCWRC)
- North Dakota — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Small Game, Waterfowl and Furbearer Proclamation
- Ohio — migratory bird hunting · Ohio Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-27 (effective 1 Sep 2026-31 Aug 2027); PDF read from cached copy
- Oklahoma — migratory bird hunting · Ducks, Mergansers & Coots · September Teal, Geese & Sandhill Cranes
- Pennsylvania — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Seasons and Bag Limits
- Rhode Island — migratory bird hunting · Hunting and Trapping Regulations (250-RICR-60-00-9)
- South Carolina — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting & Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide
- South Dakota — migratory bird hunting · 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook
- Tennessee — migratory bird hunting · Summary of Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Seasons Dates | TWRA
- Texas — migratory bird hunting · Blue-winged, Green-winged and Cinnamon Teal: 2026-2027
- Utah — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook
- Virginia — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Game Bird Regulations | Virginia DWR
- Washington — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Washington Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulations (Jul 1 2026 - Jun 30 2027)
- Wisconsin — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Wisconsin Hunting and Trapping Seasons PUB-CS-076-2026 (updated 06/08/2026)
- Wyoming — migratory bird hunting · WGFC Ch. 14 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons and Light Goose Conservation Order (dated Apr 22 2026)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Very common and widespread across Canada and the United States, from Alaska and the North through Western and Eastern Canada to California, Texas, the Southeast and Florida. The Eurasian form is resident on western Alaskan islands and a rare winter visitor in the northwestern and northeastern United States.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society