Have you ever seen a "mini duck" that looks like a ball of cotton?

Dongting Lake is the best water in the world, and Yueyang is the best building in the world. Dongting Lake is like a shining pearl in Hunan, with a vast lake and diverse wetland ecology. This vast lake and rich wetland resources provide an ideal habitat and foraging paradise for all kinds of migratory birds. Dongting Lake is not only an important station on the migratory route of migratory birds, but also an irreplaceable paradise in their hearts. Every year, tens of thousands of migratory birds come from the far north, where they live and breed, injecting vitality into the land of Dongting Lake. These migratory birds are not only the messengers of migration in the sky, but also the indispensable soul of this land. When they soar over the lake, the sun shines on their wings, shining with colorful light, like a breathtaking and gorgeous picture. The ecological diversity of Dongting Lake is breathtaking. From the light and agile red-billed gulls, the pure and elegant egrets, to the elegant and mysterious black swans, and the tall and upright grey cranes, all kinds of migratory birds gather here to weave a species-rich ecological beauty. They are leisurely at the lakeside and move freely among the wetland grass. Their chirping sounds and flapping wings are intertwined, like a melodious and moving natural symphony that makes people intoxicated.

Cotton teal (picture from the Internet)

The Cotton Tear is a small wading duck belonging to the Anatidae family of the order Anseriformes. The male has a mostly white head and neck, a black head, and a dark green neck ring and back. The primary flight feathers are dark brown, with a large white wing spot in the middle of the flight feathers. The female has a white eyebrow and a black eye pattern, a brown back, no neck ring, and dark brown markings on the lower neck. There are two subspecies of the Cotton Tear, the nominate subspecies and the Australian subspecies. The Cotton Tear is distributed in the Yangtze River Basin and the water systems to its south, as well as along the southeastern coast of China. Occasionally, stray birds have been recorded in Taiwan Island, Hebei, Beijing, and Gansu. It is also distributed in India, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and northern Australia. It inhabits rivers, lakes, ponds, and swamps, and particularly likes to move in open waters with aquatic plants.

The cotton teal is docile and easy to get close to. It often moves in pairs or small groups of a few to more than 20. It gathers in larger groups during the non-breeding season. It is good at swimming and diving, but rarely dives. It is omnivorous, and its food is mainly plant seeds, grasses and green parts of aquatic plants. It occasionally eats some invertebrates such as insects. It breeds from June to August and nests in tree holes near water. The eggs are pure white, and there are 8-15 eggs in a nest. The cotton teal is widely distributed and has a large number, so it is not included in the World Conservation Union (IUCN) list of globally threatened species. It used to be distributed throughout the area south of the Yangtze River in China, but the population has dropped sharply. It has been listed as a second-class protected wild animal in China and needs to be protected. At the same time, it is assessed as endangered (EN) in the "Red List of Chinese Vertebrates" and is also listed as a third-class protected bird in China.

【Morphological characteristics】

The male cotton teal has a white forehead, black-brown forehead and top of the head, white rest of the head and neck, and a wide black neck ring with a green sheen at the base of the neck. The shoulders, waist and upper wing coverts are black-brown with metallic green luster, and the green metallic luster of the large coverts is particularly prominent; the primary flight feathers are black-brown, with white in the middle of each feather, forming a large white wing spot, the secondary flight feathers are black-brown with a green luster and white end spots; the tertiary flight feathers are black-brown with a slight purple-blue luster; the upper tail coverts and both flanks are white with black insect-like fine spots, the tail feathers are dark brown with an inconspicuous green metallic luster, the feather edges are light brown, the axilla feathers and underwing coverts are black-brown; the undertail coverts are white with brown end spots, and the rest of the lower body is white.

The female cotton teal has a dark brown forehead and head, with white on the forehead, white eyebrow, black eye stripes, light brown back neck, dirty white cheeks and forehead, with inconspicuous black fine lines; the back, shoulders, and both wing coverts and flight feathers are brown, with inconspicuous green metallic luster, the large coverts and primary flight feathers have white tip spots, but they are narrow, and the secondary flight feathers have wider white tips, the waist and tail are dark brown, the upper tail coverts are brown with brown and white fine spots; the throat is white, the sides of the lower neck and the chest are dirty white, with black and brown fine spots. The abdomen and lower tail coverts are white, and the two flanks are white with brown stripes. The iris of the male is light vermilion, and the female is reddish brown. The bill of the male is black-brown, and the female is brown; the tarsus of the male is black. The webbed feet are yellow, and the sides and rear edge of the tarsus of the female duck are green-yellow.

【Size measurement】

【Habitat】

Cotton teals live in rivers, lakes, ponds and swamps, especially open waters rich in aquatic plants. Sometimes they appear in small ponds and canals near villages.

【Life habits】

Cotton teals often move in pairs or in small groups of a few to more than 20. They are relatively docile. They are good at swimming and diving, but they rarely dive. They usually spend most of their time in the water and usually do not go ashore, but sometimes they climb onto tree stumps or other objects protruding from the water. When frightened, they can immediately rush out of the water and fly up. They take off quickly and flexibly, and make a continuous "cluck, cluck" sound. They usually do not fly high, and their wings flap slightly. They do not fly far, but they fly at a relatively fast speed. They are mainly active during the day and often roost in lakes or on tree branches at night.

Cotton teal mainly feed on the tender shoots, leaves and roots of aquatic and terrestrial plants, as well as aquatic insects, worms, snails, mollusks, crustaceans and small fish. They forage during the day, often in shallow waters near the water surface and shore, and rarely dive to prey.