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Bernier's teal, or Madagascar teal(Anas bernieri)
Phylum —chordata
Class — aves
Order — anseriformes
Family — anatidae
Genus –anas
Appearance
This is a small duck, measuring 40 to 45 cm (16 to 18 in) in length, and ranging from 320 to 405 grams (11.3 to 14.3 oz) in mass; males average slightly heavier than females.
The Bernier’s teal is uniformly brown. Crown and nape are slightly darker than rest of head and neck. The upperparts are slightly “scaled” with pale yellowish-brown feather edges. On the upperwing, the wing-coverts are brown, but the greater coverts have broad white tips. The secondaries are blackish with some green gloss and white tips, forming narrow white trailing edge. On the underparts, the brown feathers have dark centers, less distinct on flanks. The underwing is grey with white axillaries.
The bill is pale reddish to pale orange on lower mandible, and mostly greyish-pink on upper mandible with dark nail. The eyes are bright chestnut, almost reddish. Legs and webbed feet are grey-brown.
Habitat
Bernier's teal is endemic to the island of Madagascar, where it is found in mangrove forests.
Diet
Bernier's teal typically spends much of its day actively feeding. It feeds on invertebrates, plant materials, and insects.
Reproduction
The breeding season is related to the wet season on west coast, and takes place from December to March. However, a clutch found in April suggests that the Bernier’s teal produces two broods per season.
They nest in single pairs of loose groups. This species nests in tree holes in mangroves (Avicennia marina) close to or above water. The nest is about 2-5 meters above the ground, usually in the largest trees. It is often lined with breast-feather down.
The female lays 2-10 (6-7) pale yellow-buff eggs, and incubates during 27-28 days. The male remains close to her during this period. At hatching, the chicks have grey down above and whitish-grey below. The face is pale with narrow, dark eye stripe and small, dark ear spot. The bill is pinkish and the eyes are dark brown. They fledge 45-49 days after hatching. They are reared by the female, but the male accompanies them until they fledge. They are fully grown at about 12 weeks, and they are sexually mature at one year old.
In captivity
Lifespan in captivity is up to 30 years.
In summer,Madagascar tealsare kept in outdoor enclosures. The minimum size of the enclosure is 4 square meters: one meter fora bird.
In winter, teals should be transferred to an insulated enclosure with a temperature of at least +15°C.It is desirable to equip the enclosure with additives in the form of branches and perches.In the winter room, you must install a pool with running or frequently replaced water.
As a winter bedding for waterfowl, you can use soft hay, which is laid out in places where birds rest.
The diet includes a mixture of plant and animal feeds. From vegetable feeds give: grain feed-corn, wheat, barley, millet, oatmeal, wheat bran, grass. To these feeds you should add meat and fish meal, chalk, small shell, gammarus. In the warm season, it is good to give various greens - cut dandelion leaves, lettuce, plantain, duckweed. Good food for ducks - wet mixture of grated carrots, bran, various cereals.Fish and minced meat is also suitable. During working out a diet it should be calculated that the amount of raw protein does not exceed 30%.
Madagascar tealsare friendly to other birds, so they can be kept in the same pond with other members of the Anatidae family.
In April, Bernier's teals can be placed in an open aviary, where you need to install nesting houses. Their dimensions should not be less than 25x25 cm (bottom) and 50 cm high. The cover of the house must be removable. The tray is 12-13 cm in diameter. The houses are located at least 1-3 meters above the floor. It is optimal to arrange 3-4 nests at different heights and in different places, so that they can choose what they like. Ducks independently incubate, breed and raise ducklings.
