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Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea) Alternate name(s): "Chestnut-breasted Teal", "Green-headed Teal", "Black Teal", "Mountain Teal", "Tete" Aboriginal name(s): "ngwoolnakerong" Size: 38-48 cm Body mass: 500-800 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description As opposed to the related Grey Teals, Chestnut Teals are dimorphic, i.e. males and females have different plumages. Male Chestnut Teals have a glossy green head, chestnut-brown lower neck and breast and mottled chestnut-brown belly and flanks, while females are all mottled brown-grey. In general, every detail is a bit darker in colour than in the very similar Grey Teal. The vent of both sexes is black, the mantle is mottled brown. The speculum is green. The irises of both sexes are red, the bill is dark-grey, the legs and webbed feet are grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Chestnut Teal at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Chestnut Teal is available HERE . Chestnut Teals are endemic to Australia. They are found in two areas of the Australian continent: Most of them live in the subtropical east and south-east of the country, i.e. the south-eastern part of QLD, all of NSW and VIC, and the eastern edge of SA, up to Eyre peninsula. They are also found in Tasmania. A smaller population exists along two thin coastal margins along the lower west coast and the south coast of WA. During the breeding season Chestnut Teals show a preference for brackish coastal swampland. At other times of the year they are also found in tidal mudflats and freshwater lakes other freshwater wetlands.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Chestnut Teals were first spotted by us at Gorokan, on the NSW Central Coast, in June 2006. They were feeding on the shores of Budgewoi Lake early in the morning, amongst other aquatic birds. Subsequently the species was seen at Tuggerah Nature Reserve near Wyong, NSW, in June 2011. They were also seen at Woy Woy, NSW, by C. Hayne in January 2012. Subsequently we have found them in wetlands in various locations along the NSW coastline, including e.g. Hunter Wetlands NP. Chestnut Teals are only rarely found by us in inland NSW. A pair was seen at Dangar's Lagoon, Uralla, NSW, in March 2012. Another Chestnut Teal, possibly a pair, was spotted at New Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, in June 2019. In February 2022 Chestnut Teals were found by us on a farm dam near Breeza, NSW, and at Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake 30 km South of Gunnedah, NSW. The farthest inland we have found Chestnut Teals so far is Tiger Bay wetlands at Warren, NSW, in April 2017, where a single male was spotted. C. Hayne reports spotting Chestnut Teals repeatedly at Whittaker's Lagoon near Moree, NSW. R. Plumtree reports spotting Chestnut Teals at Hollands Landing, Lake Victoria, East Gippsland, VIC, in October 2014. A. Ross-Taylor reports spotting Chestnut Teals on the Gold Coast, QLD, in December 2014. H. Mouritsen reports spotting Chestnut Teals at Fogg Dam NR, NT, in October 2015. K. White reports finding Chestnut Teals regularly at St Georges Basin on the NSW South Coast. M. Wheeler found a pair of Chestnut Teals with 9 ducklings at Narrabri Lake in May 2020. V. Collins reports finding Chestnut Teals at Newcastle Airport, Newcastle, NSW, in December 2020. M. Eaton reports finding Chestnut Teals at Goulds Lagoon, Hobart, TAS, in April 2021. Others were found at Bicheno, TAS, in September 2024.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Frontal/near-lateral view of a pair of Chestnut Teals
[Hunter Wetlands Centre, Newcastle, NSW, July 2025]

Lateral view of a pair of Chestnut Teals (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bicheno, TAS, September 2024]

Lateral view of a pair of Chestnut Teals (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bicheno, TAS, September 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Chestnut Teals
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, February 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Chestnut Teals in flight
[Near Hat Head, NSW, January 2011]

MALE

Close-up near-lateral view of a male Chestnut Teal (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Close-up lateral view of a male Chestnut Teal
[Hunter Wetlands Centre, Newcastle, NSW, July 2025]

Lateral view of a male Chestnut Teal (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, December 2014]

Close-up lateral view of a male Chestnut Teal
[Cattai Wetlands, Coopernook, NSW, October 2023]

Lateral view of a male Chestnut Teal (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Long Jetty, NSW, September 2011]

Lateral view of a male Chestnut Teal issuing its call (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Goulds Lagoon, Hobart, TAS, April 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a male Chestnut Teal
[Gorokan, NSW, June 2011]

Near-dorsal view of a male Chestnut Teal paddling away
[Gorokan, NSW, June 2011]

Close-up dorsal view of a male Chestnut Teal looking sideways
[Cattai Wetlands, Coopernook, NSW, October 2023]

Male Chestnut Teal, front right, possibly with a female (the dark bird on the far left), Grey Teals and Pink-eared Ducks
[New Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, June 2019]

Male Chestnut Teal (left), with two Plumed Whistling-Ducks (right), seen at Whittaker's Lagoon near Moree, NSW
(photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Near-dorsal view of Chestnut Teals in flight, male at front left (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Tuross Coastal Lagoon, NSW, January 2018]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female Chestnut Teal
[Hunter Wetlands Centre, Newcastle, NSW, July 2025]

Lateral view of a female Chestnut Teal
[Gorokan, NSW, June 2011]

Dorsal view of a female Chestnut Teal
[Gorokan, NSW, June 2011]

Two female Chestnut Teals on a jetty
[Gorokan, NSW, June 2011]

Lateral view of female Chestnut Teals in flight (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Tuross Coastal Lagoon, NSW, January 2018]

Near-dorsal view of female Chestnut Teals in flight (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Tuross Coastal Lagoon, NSW, January 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Dorsal view of a pair of Chestnut Teals with duckling/s (photo courtesy of M. Wheeler)
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, May 2020]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/flock

Chestnut Teals roosting surrounded by water
[Cattai Wetlands, Coopernook, NSW, October 2023]

Two Chestnut Teals (female on the right, immature male on the left) exploring suburbia (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, December 2014]

Food, Diet

Chestnut Teals filter-feeding in shallow water
[Hunter Wetlands NP, Newcastle, NSW, December 2016]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

chsteal_20250626.m4a

(E NSW)

Contact call(?)

© MD

More Chestnut Teal sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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