The Common Teal (Anas crecca) is the smallest dabbling duck found in Europe, but also one of the most emblematic species due to its coloured plumage and abundance. In close collaboration with Tour du Valat, the French Hunting and Wildlife Agency (ONCFS) has been conducting a research programme on this species for over 10 years to better understand its population dynamics. The two organisations have co-supervised research for a doctoral dissertation on this species, which makes extensive use of the ringing data accumulated by the Tour du Valat since the 1950s.
A monograph on this species, which is largely based on this fruitful collaboration, has just been published in English by T. & A.D. Poyser. It was co-written by Matthieu Guillemain, an ONCFS Research Fellow based at the Tour du Valat, who is a specialist of the population dynamics of dabbling ducks, and Johan Elmberg, a Professor of Animal Ecology at the University of Kristianstad in Sweden, where his research focuses on waterbirds. The book provides a comprehensive study of current knowledge of teal biology and ecology, and also information on the Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis), a twin species found in North America. It also explains how this knowledge can be used to manage teal populations and habitats, and points to interesting paths of inquiry for future research.
Common Teal Anas crecca
(© E. Balança)
The authors aim to provide wetland managers, scientists, ornithologists, and hunters with solid scientific knowledge concerning this species in particular, and Anatidae (geese, swans, and ducks) in general.
References: Guillemain, M., Elmberg. J. The Teal, T & A D Poyser, 2014, 320 pp. ISBN : 978-1-4729-0850-6