Teal (Querquedula), a genus of very small ducks with numerous widely distributed species. The
Common Teal (Q. crecca), a beautiful bird measuring 14 inches in length, is comparatively abundant in Britain, breeding freely in the east and north of England, and throughout Scotland and Ireland. Its nest is usually built on the margin of a lake or among heather; it is made of grasses and leaves and lined with down. The bird feeds chiefly at night on worms, slugs, insects, and seeds. The Garganey (Q. circia) is also a British species, but is much less common, and breeds regularly only in Norfolk and Suffolk. It is larger than the common teal, the adult male measuring 16 inches. The Green-wing Teal (Q. carolinensis) of North America closely resembles the common teal, the females of the two species being hardly distinguishable from each other.