Puna teal

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Puna teal
Puna Teal (Anas puna) RWD.jpg
A puna teal at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park in Scotland Neck, North Carolina.
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Spatula
Species:
S. puna
Binomial name
Spatula puna
(Tschudi, 1844)
Spatula puna map.svg
Synonyms

Anas versicolor puna
Anas puna
Punanetta puna

The Puna teal (Spatula puna) is a species of dabbling duck in the family Anatidae. It was at one time regarded as a subspecies of the Silver teal (Spatula versicolor).

Contents

The Puna teal is resident in the Andes of Peru, western Bolivia, northern Chile, and extreme northwestern Argentina. [1] [2] It is found on the larger lakes and pools in the altiplano.

The status of the Puna teal is Least Concern, as listed on the IUCN Red List. [1]

Taxonomy

The first formal description of the Puna teal was by the Swiss naturalist Johann Jakob von Tschudi in 1844 under the binomial name Anas puna. [3] It was at one time considered a subspecies of the Silver teal in the genus Anas . [4]

A molecular phylogenetic study comparing mitochondrial DNA sequences published in 2009 found that the genus Anas, as then defined, was non-monophyletic. [5] This resulted in the split of the genus into four monophyletic genera with ten species, including the Puna teal, which moved into the resurrected genus Spatula . [6] This marked the change of the Puna teal from a subspecies into a monotypic species. [7] The genus Spatula was originally proposed by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1822. [8] [9] The name Spatula is the Latin for a "spoon" or "spatula". The specific epithet puna is from the Puna de Atacama, a plateau in the Andes. [10]

Description

At WWT Slimbridge, England Anas puna -WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, England-8a.jpg
At WWT Slimbridge, England

Appearance

The Puna teal is larger than its closely related species, the Silver teal (Spatula versicolor). It measures about 48 cm (19 in) long, similar in size to a wood duck. Males typically weigh between 546 to 560 g and have a wingspan of 215-235 mm. Their bill is 47-53 mm long, compared to 37-41 mm in S. versicolor . [7]

Puna teals are easily recognized by their distinctive head and bill patterns. Adult males have a blackish-brown cap that extends below the eyes. They have a creamy white lower face and neck, a coffee-colored back, chest, and flank, and a dark brown rear flank. Their neck and chest are covered in small, dark brown spots that turn into bars on the back, chest, and flanks. Their rump and upper tail coverts appear grey. Their upper wing coverts are a dull blue color, greater secondary coverts are white-tipped, and they have an iridescent green speculum with posterior black and white bars. Their underwings are banded with grey. Their legs and feet are grey, and they have brown eyes and a distinctive light blue bill with a black nail and culmen. [7]

Females are typically duller in color than males and have less distinct barring patterns on their flanks. Juveniles are also duller, with a less iridescent speculum and less contrasting head. Chicks have brown upper down and greyish-white lower down, with pairs of white dorsal spots along their wings and sides. They also have a narrow black eyestripe that trails back to their nape, and a greyish-blue colored bill that is larger than that of young S. versicolor individuals. [7]

One case of leucism has been documented in this species, observed in the Huaypo Lake between the Peruvian provinces of Anta and Urubamba. The affected individual had a white head and neck, while the rest of its body retained the species' normal coloration. [11]

Anatomy and Physiology

As a high-altitude resident waterfowl, Puna teals show morphological adaptations in their respiratory systems compared to lower-elevation species. Studies on Lake Titicaca found that the Puna teal has larger mass-specific volumes of the lungs, secondary bronchi, parabronchi, and gas exchange tissues. They also have a higher proportion of blood vessels in their lungs. Their adapted respiratory structure allows for more efficient oxygen uptake, likely as an evolutionary response to living at high altitudes. [12]

Habitat and Distribution

The Puna teal is a non-migratory bird native to the Neotropical realm of South America. [13] Its range is confined to the Puna zone of the Andes Mountains, extending from central Peru (around the Junín region) southward through western Bolivia, northern Chile (as far south as Antofagasta), and into the extreme northwest of Argentina (Jujuy Province). [7] [13]

This species is restricted to high-altitude environments, typically found at elevations up to 4,600 m (15,100 ft). [14] It inhabits various freshwater wetland types, favoring weakly alkaline lakes, swamps, and bogs with abundant floating vegetation, particularly the aquatic plant genus Chara . [13] [14]

Behavior

Diet and Feeding

Puna teals mostly feed on plants and seeds, but also often eat invertebrates. [13] As dabbling ducks, they typically feed in the water by tipping forward till they are upside down, to get food from the bottom of water bodies, such as ponds. Their bills are specialized for removing food from the water using plates called lamellae, which are aligned along the edges of the bill and vary in length and distance between one another. [15]

Mating and Reproduction

Anas puna - MHNT Anas puna MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.34.4.jpg
Anas puna - MHNT

The first breeding event usually occurs at one year old. [13] The species is mostly monogamous, though some males exhibit polygyny to some extent to carry out extra-pair copulations. [14] In the wild, they live either in single pairs, or in small groups, consisting of Puna teals alone or mixed with Silver teals. [14]

Puna teals nest on the ground in rough vegetation such as long grass, not always close to the water. [14] They lay their eggs between April and June, and the eggs are a creamy pink color. Clutch size ranges from 5 to 8 eggs, and chicks usually weigh around 25 g at hatching. [13] [14] Females incubate the eggs alone for approximately 25 days, but, like swans and geese, both parents rear the ducklings. [14] Males accompany the brood and defend the female during the fledging period. [14] The relationship between the male and female may be long-term. [16]

Migration

Puna teals are mainly non-migratory, sedentary birds, but they carry out altitudinal shifts outside their breeding season, descending from their breeding locations in the high Andes to lower elevations in response to decreased resource abundance. [13] [14] [17] During these periods, individuals can be observed in lowlands and occasionally along the coast of Peru. [14]

Vocalizations

The Puna teal's call differs from the Silver teal's. Its "decrescendo" call is shorter, consisting of only 4-5 weaker notes. Other reported vocalizations include a low, chatting sound ("hueer, pt pt pt..."), a mechanical, rising trill ("trrrrr" or "dr-r-r"), and a low alarm call ("whr" or "errr"). [14]

Relationship with Humans

The Puna teal is one of the bird species found in Lake Titicaca, a lake on the border of Peru and Bolivia, which is utilized as a food source by the local population. A 2019 study determined that its meat has high moisture (71-76%) and protein contents (18-22%), with low levels of carbohydrates and ash (under 1%). When tested for their sensory acceptance by a panel of judges not accustomed to consuming this type of meat, their meat was not accepted, and its organoleptic qualities were rated as fair. [18]

Conservation

Population and Threats

The Puna teal is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. [1] As of 2023, the population size is estimated at 100,000 to 1,000,000 individuals, equating to approximately 66,700 to 667,000 mature individuals. [7] Its habitat is largely undisturbed, and overall, the population is considered stable. [7] [14]

However, localized declines have been observed in Lake Junín in Peru. As of 2014, Puna teal numbers have decreased significantly in Lake Junín compared to estimates from previous years. This regional decline was likely linked to the loss of Chara , a preferred food for Puna teals, which is likely disappearing due to increased eutrophication, siltation, and heavy metal contamination. [19] Additionally, some populations face pressure from hunting. [14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 BirdLife International (2016). "Spatula puna". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016 e.T22680326A92855733. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680326A92855733.en . Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  2. ↑ Clements, J. (2007)
  3. ↑ Tschudi, Johann Jakob von (1844). "Avium conspectus". Archiv für Naturgeschichte. 10 Part 1: 262–317 [315–316].
  4. ↑ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 475.
  5. ↑ Gonzalez, J.; Düttmann, H.; Wink, M. (2009). "Phylogenetic relationships based on two mitochondrial genes and hybridization patterns in Anatidae". Journal of Zoology. 279 (3): 310–318. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00622.x.
  6. ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2017). "Screamers, ducks, geese & swans". World Bird List Version 7.3. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Puna Teal Spatula Puna Species Factsheet". BirdLife DataZone. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
  8. ↑ Boie, Friedrich (1822). "Generalübersicht". Isis von Oken (in German). 1822. Col 564.
  9. ↑ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 460.
  10. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 324, 361. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  11. ↑ Venero G., José Luis. "Leucismo en Pato Puna (Anas puna) en la laguna de Huaypo, Cuzco - Perú" (PDF). UNOP Boletín de la Unión de Ornitólogos del Perú.
  12. ↑ Laguë, Sabine L.; Ivy, Catherine M.; York, Julia M.; Dawson, Neal J.; Chua, Beverly A.; Alza, Luis; Scott, Graham R.; McCracken, Kevin G.; Milsom, William K. (2025-02-27). "Gas exchange, oxygen transport and metabolism in high-altitude waterfowl". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 380 (1920) 20230424. doi:10.1098/rstb.2023.0424.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Spatula puna (Puna Teal) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 del Hoyo, Josep; Collar, Nigel; Kirwan, Guy M. "Puna Teal - Spatula puna" . Retrieved 2025-11-06.
  15. ↑ "Dabbling ducks". www.sfu.ca. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
  16. ↑ "Puna teal". Aves de Chile. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009.
  17. ↑ Lastra, Carolina C.; Echevarria, Ada L. (2024-03-21). "Primeros registros de Pato Puneño (Spatula puna) y Guayata (Oressochen melanoptera) en el embalse El Cadillal, provincia de Tucumán, Argentina". Nuestras Aves (in Spanish) (69): 95–96. doi:10.56178/na.vi69.1023. ISSN   3008-8305.
  18. ↑ Loza-Del Carpio, Alfredo; Mamani Flores, Julio; Loza-Del Carpio, José (2019). "Proximal composition and organoleptic acceptability of the meat of five species of game birds of Lake Titicaca, Peru". Ecosistemas y recursos agropecuarios. 6 (16): 103–114. doi:10.19136/era.a6n16.1894. ISSN   2007-9028.
  19. ↑ Dinesen, Lars; Chamorro, Alan; Fjeldså, Jon; Aucca, Constantino (2019). "Long-term declines in waterbirds abundance at Lake Junín, Andean Peru". Bird Conservation International. 29 (1): 83–99. doi:10.1017/S0959270918000230. ISSN   0959-2709.
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