Marbled Duck

The Marbled Duck, or Marbled Teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris), is a medium-sized dabbling duck.

Their breeding habitat is lowland, shallow fresh waters. This duck formerly bred in large numbers in the Mediterranean region, but is now restricted to a few sites in southern Spain and northwest Africa. In the east it survives in isolated pockets in Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iraq. In some areas birds disperse from the breeding grounds, and have been encountered in the winter period in the Sahel zone south of the Sahara.

This duck is approximately 39–42 cm long. The adult is a pale sandy-brown colour, diffusely blotched off-white, with a dark eye-patch and shaggy head. Juveniles are similar but with more off-white blotches. In flight the wings look pale without a marked pattern, and no speculum on the secondaries.

These are gregarious birds, at times even when nesting. Outside the breeding season flocks are often small, although large wintering flocks have been reported in some areas.

These birds feed mainly in shallow water by dabbling or up-ending, occasionally diving. Little is known of their diet.

This bird is considered vulnerable due to a reduction in population caused by habitat destruction.