The Sunda teal (''Anas gibberifrons''), also known as the Bebek cokelat or Itik benjut, is a
dabbling duck
The Anatinae are a subfamily of the family Anatidae (swans, geese and ducks). Its surviving members are the dabbling ducks, which feed mainly at the surface rather than by diving. The other members of the Anatinae are the extinct moa-nalo, a y ...
found in open wetlands in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. The species formerly included the
Andaman teal ''Anas albogularis'' and the
grey teal
The grey teal (''Anas gracilis'') is a dabbling duck found in open wetlands in Australia and New Zealand.
Description
It can be identified due to the presence of a crimson coloured iris in its eyes. This crimson colour is relatively more promi ...
, ''Anas gracilis'' as subspecies, but is currently considered
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...
.
A
molecular phylogentic
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
study published in 2009 that compared
mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA and mDNA) is the DNA located in the mitochondrion, mitochondria organelles in a eukaryotic cell that converts chemical energy from food into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA is a small portion of the D ...
sequences from ducks, geese and swans in the family
Anatidae
The Anatidae are the biological family (biology), family of water birds that includes ducks, goose, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted f ...
found that the Sunda teal is a
sister species
In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree.
Definition
The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram:
Taxon A and ...
of the
chestnut teal (''Anas castanea'') native to Australia.
This is a mottled brown
duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...
with white and green flashes on its wings. The male and female Sunda teal share the same colouration, in contrast to the related
chestnut teal, whose male and female are strikingly different. The nominate Sunda teal has almost identical colouration to the female chestnut teal and can only be distinguished by its lighter coloured neck, paler face and especially the bulging forehead. The Andaman teal has a variable amount of white on the forehead and around the eyes. The Rennell Island teal looked like a smaller version of the nominate subspecies, with a stubbier bill. Juveniles are paler than adults, especially on the head.
The Sunda teal nests near its favoured freshwater lakes and marshes, usually on the ground, but also in tree holes or
rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...
burrows.
This is a vocal duck, especially at night. The male gives a soft ''peep'', and the female has a loud quack.
References
* ''Wildfowl'' by Madge and Burn,
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q281978
Anas
Teals
Birds of Indonesia
Birds described in 1842