# Puna teal

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{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Puna teal
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 25 September 2021">{{cite iucn |author1=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Spatula puna'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T22680326A92855733 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680326A92855733.en |access-date=25 September 2021}}</ref>
| image = Puna Teal (Anas puna) RWD.jpg
| image_caption = A puna teal at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park in [Scotland Neck, North Carolina](/source/Scotland_Neck%2C_North_Carolina).
| genus = Spatula
| species = puna
| authority = ([Tschudi](/source/Johann_Jakob_von_Tschudi), 1844)
| synonyms = ''Anas versicolor puna''<br />''Anas puna'' <br />''Punanetta puna''
| range_map = Spatula puna map.svg
}}

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

The Puna teal is resident in the [Andes](/source/Andes) of [Peru](/source/Peru), western [Bolivia](/source/Bolivia), northern [Chile](/source/Chile), and extreme northwestern [Argentina](/source/Argentina).<ref name="iucn status 25 September 2021" /><ref name="Clements">Clements, J. (2007)</ref> It is found on the larger lakes and pools in the [altiplano](/source/altiplano).

The status of the Puna teal is [Least Concern](/source/Least_Concern), as listed on the [IUCN Red List](/source/IUCN_Red_List).<ref name="iucn status 25 September 2021" />

==Taxonomy==
The first [formal description](/source/Species_description) of the Puna teal was by the Swiss naturalist [Johann Jakob von Tschudi](/source/Johann_Jakob_von_Tschudi) in 1844 under the [binomial name](/source/binomial_nomenclature) ''Anas puna''.<ref>{{ cite journal | last=Tschudi | first=Johann Jakob von | author-link=Johann Jakob von Tschudi | year=1844 | title=Avium conspectus | journal=Archiv für Naturgeschichte | volume= 10 Part 1 | pages=262–317 [315–316] | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9697456 }}</ref> It was at one time considered a [subspecies](/source/subspecies) of the [Silver teal](/source/Silver_teal) in the [genus](/source/genus) ''[Anas](/source/Anas)''.<ref>{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Cottrell | editor2-first=G. William | year=1979 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World | volume=1 | edition=2nd | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=475 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16109115 }}</ref> 

A [molecular phylogenetic](/source/Molecular_phylogenetics) study comparing [mitochondrial DNA](/source/mitochondrial_DNA) sequences published in 2009 found that the genus ''Anas'', as then defined, was [non-monophyletic](/source/monophyletic).<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Gonzalez | first1=J. | last2=Düttmann | first2=H. | last3=Wink | first3=M. | year=2009 | title=Phylogenetic relationships based on two mitochondrial genes and hybridization patterns in Anatidae | journal=Journal of Zoology | volume=279 | issue=3 | pages=310–318 | doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00622.x }}</ref>  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](/source/Spatula_(genus))''.<ref name="ioc">{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2017 | title=Screamers, ducks, geese & swans | work=World Bird List Version 7.3 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/waterfowl/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=23 July 2017 }}</ref> This marked the change of the Puna teal from a [subspecies](/source/subspecies) into a [monotypic](/source/Monotypic_taxon) [species](/source/species).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Puna Teal Spatula Puna Species Factsheet |url=https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/puna-teal-spatula-puna#Ecology |access-date=2025-11-05 |website=BirdLife DataZone |language=en}}</ref> The genus ''[Spatula](/source/Spatula_(bird))'' was originally proposed by the German zoologist [Friedrich Boie](/source/Friedrich_Boie) in 1822.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Boie | first=Friedrich | author-link=Friedrich Boie | year=1822 | title=Generalübersicht | journal=Isis von Oken | volume=1822 | at=Col 564| language=German | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27515513 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Cottrell | editor2-first=G. William | year=1979 | title=Check-list of Birds of the World | volume=1 | edition=2nd | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=460 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16109100 }}</ref> The name ''Spatula'' is the Latin for a "spoon" or "spatula".<!--Job p. 361--> The specific [epithet](/source/epithet) ''puna'' is from the [Puna de Atacama](/source/Puna_de_Atacama), a plateau in the Andes.<ref>{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn= 978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages=324, 361 | url=https://archive.org/stream/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling#page/n324/mode/1up}}</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Anas puna -WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, England-8a.jpg|left|thumb|At [WWT Slimbridge](/source/WWT_Slimbridge), England]]

=== Appearance ===
The Puna teal is larger than its closely related species, the [Silver teal (''Spatula versicolor'')](/source/Silver_teal). It measures about 48 cm (19 in) long, similar in size to a [wood duck](/source/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](/source/Silver_teal)''.<ref name=":0" />

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](/source/Bird_anatomy), and a dark brown rear [flank](/source/Bird_anatomy). Their neck and chest are covered in small, dark brown spots that turn into bars on the back, chest, and flanks. Their [rump](/source/Rump_(animal)) and upper tail [coverts](/source/Covert_feather) appear grey. Their upper wing [coverts](/source/Covert_feather) are a dull blue color, greater secondary [coverts](/source/Covert_feather) are white-tipped, and they have an iridescent green [speculum](/source/Speculum_feathers) 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.<ref name=":0" /> 

Females are typically duller in color than males and have less distinct barring patterns on their [flanks](/source/Bird_anatomy). Juveniles are also duller, with a less iridescent [speculum](/source/Speculum_feathers) and less contrasting head. Chicks have brown upper [down](/source/Down_feather) and greyish-white lower [down](/source/Down_feather), with pairs of white dorsal spots along their wings and sides. They also have a narrow black [eyestripe](/source/eyestripe) that trails back to their [nape](/source/nape), and a greyish-blue colored bill that is larger than that of young ''[S. versicolor](/source/Silver_teal)'' individuals.<ref name=":0" />

One case of [leucism](/source/leucism) has been documented in this species, observed in the Huaypo Lake between the Peruvian provinces of [Anta](/source/Anta_province) and [Urubamba](/source/Urubamba_province). The affected individual had a white head and neck, while the rest of its body retained the species' normal coloration.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Venero G. |first=José Luis |title=Leucismo en Pato Puna (Anas puna) en la laguna de Huaypo, Cuzco - Perú |url=https://boletinunop.weebly.com/uploads/6/2/2/6/62265985/bolet%C3%ADn_unop_vol._9_n%C2%B03_2014_-_venero.pdf |journal=UNOP Boletín de la Unión de Ornitólogos del Perú}}</ref>

=== Anatomy and Physiology ===
As a high-altitude resident [waterfowl](/source/waterfowl), Puna teals show [morphological](/source/Morphology_(biology)) [adaptations](/source/Adaptation) in their [respiratory systems](/source/Respiratory_system) compared to lower-elevation species. Studies on [Lake Titicaca](/source/Lake_Titicaca) found that the Puna teal has larger [mass-specific](/source/Mass-specific_quantity) [volumes](/source/Volume) of the [lungs](/source/Lung), [secondary bronchi](/source/Bronchus), [parabronchi](/source/parabronchi), and gas exchange tissues. They also have a higher proportion of [blood vessels](/source/Blood_vessel) in their lungs. Their adapted respiratory structure allows for more efficient [oxygen uptake](/source/oxygen_uptake), likely as an [evolutionary](/source/evolutionary) response to living at high altitudes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Laguë |first1=Sabine L. |last2=Ivy |first2=Catherine M. |last3=York |first3=Julia M. |last4=Dawson |first4=Neal J. |last5=Chua |first5=Beverly A. |last6=Alza |first6=Luis |last7=Scott |first7=Graham R. |last8=McCracken |first8=Kevin G. |last9=Milsom |first9=William K. |date=2025-02-27 |title=Gas exchange, oxygen transport and metabolism in high-altitude waterfowl |journal=Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=380 |issue=1920 |article-number=20230424 |doi=10.1098/rstb.2023.0424|pmid=40010396 |pmc=11864830 }}</ref>

== Habitat and Distribution ==
The Puna teal is a [non-migratory](/source/non-migratory) bird native to the [Neotropical realm](/source/Neotropical_realm) of [South America](/source/South_America).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Spatula puna (Puna Teal) - Avibase |url=https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=86B0BAFA |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org}}</ref> Its range is confined to the [Puna zone](/source/Puna_grassland) of the [Andes Mountains](/source/Andes), extending from central [Peru](/source/Peru) (around the [Junín](/source/Jun%C3%ADn%2C_Peru) region) southward through western [Bolivia](/source/Bolivia), northern [Chile](/source/Chile) (as far south as [Antofagasta](/source/Antofagasta)), and into the extreme northwest of [Argentina](/source/Argentina) ([Jujuy Province](/source/Jujuy_Province)).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

This species is restricted to high-altitude environments, typically found at elevations up to 4,600 m (15,100 ft).<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last1=del Hoyo |first1=Josep |last2=Collar |first2=Nigel |last3=Kirwan |first3=Guy M. |editor-first1=Josep |editor-first2=Andrew |editor-first3=Jordi |editor-first4=David |editor-first5=Eduardo |editor-last1=Del Hoyo |editor-last2=Elliott |editor-last3=Sargatal |editor-last4=Christie |editor-last5=De Juana |title=Puna Teal - Spatula puna |chapter=Puna Teal (Spatula puna) |date=2020 |chapter-url=https://doi-org.proxy3.library.mcgill.ca/10.2173/bow.puntea1.01 |access-date=2025-11-06 |doi=10.2173/bow.puntea1.01 }}</ref> It inhabits various freshwater [wetland](/source/wetland) types, favoring weakly [alkaline](/source/Alkali) [lakes](/source/Lake), [swamps](/source/Swamp), and [bogs](/source/Bog) with abundant floating vegetation, particularly the aquatic plant genus ''[Chara](/source/Chara_(alga))''.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

==Behavior==
=== Diet and Feeding ===
Puna teals mostly feed on plants and seeds, but also often eat [invertebrates](/source/Invertebrate).<ref name=":1" /> As [dabbling ducks](/source/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](/source/Pond). Their bills are specialized for removing food from the water using plates called [lamellae](/source/Lamella_(surface_anatomy)), which are aligned along the edges of the bill and vary in length and distance between one another.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dabbling ducks |url=https://www.sfu.ca/biology/wildberg/species/dabbducks.html#:~:text=This%20feeding%20behaviour%20is%20referred,the%20bottom%20of%20a%20pond |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=www.sfu.ca}}</ref>

=== Mating and Reproduction ===
[[File:Anas puna MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.34.4.jpg|thumb| ''Anas puna'' - [MHNT](/source/MHNT)|242x242px]]The first breeding event usually occurs at one year old.<ref name=":1" /> The species is mostly [monogamous](/source/Monogamy), though some males exhibit [polygyny](/source/polygyny) to some extent to carry out [extra-pair copulations](/source/Extra-pair_copulation).<ref name=":2" /> In the wild, they live either in single pairs, or in small groups, consisting of Puna teals alone or mixed with [Silver teals](/source/Silver_teal).<ref name=":2" />

Puna teals nest on the ground in rough vegetation such as long grass, not always close to the water.<ref name=":2" /> They lay their eggs between April and June, and the eggs are a creamy pink color. [Clutch size](/source/Clutch_size) ranges from 5 to 8 eggs, and chicks usually weigh around 25 g at hatching.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> Females [incubate](/source/Egg_incubation) the eggs alone for approximately 25 days, but, like [swan](/source/swan)s and [geese](/source/geese), both parents rear the ducklings.<ref name=":2" /> Males accompany the brood and defend the female during the [fledging](/source/Fledge) period.<ref name=":2" /> The relationship between the male and female may be long-term.<ref>{{cite web |title=Puna teal |url=http://www.avesdechile.cl/009en.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111011737/http://www.avesdechile.cl/009en.htm |archive-date=11 January 2009 |work=Aves de Chile}}</ref>

=== Migration ===
Puna teals are mainly [non-migratory](/source/Bird_migration), [sedentary](/source/Bird_migration) birds, but they carry out [altitudinal shifts](/source/Altitudinal_migration) outside their [breeding season](/source/Breeding_behaviors_of_birds), descending from their breeding locations in the high [Andes](/source/Andes) to lower elevations in response to decreased resource abundance.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lastra |first1=Carolina C. |last2=Echevarria |first2=Ada L. |date=2024-03-21 |title=Primeros registros de Pato Puneño (Spatula puna) y Guayata (Oressochen melanoptera) en el embalse El Cadillal, provincia de Tucumán, Argentina |url=https://nuestrasaves.avesargentinas.org.ar/home/article/view/1023 |journal=Nuestras Aves |language=es |issue=69 |pages=95–96 |doi=10.56178/na.vi69.1023 |issn=3008-8305|doi-access=free }}</ref> During these periods, individuals can be observed in [lowlands](/source/lowlands) and occasionally along the coast of [Peru](/source/Peru).<ref name=":2" />{{Birdsong|species = ''Spatula puna''|url = http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Spatula-puna|image=Puna Teal - WWT Slimbridge - Explored -) (20806408792).jpg}}
=== Vocalizations ===
The Puna teal's call differs from the [Silver teal's](/source/Silver_teal). Its "[decrescendo](/source/Dynamics_(music))" 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](/source/Alarm_signal) ("whr" or "errr").<ref name=":2" />
== Relationship with Humans ==
The Puna teal is one of the bird species found in [Lake Titicaca](/source/Lake_Titicaca), a lake on the border of [Peru](/source/Peru) and [Bolivia](/source/Bolivia), which is utilized as a food source by the local population. A 2019 study determined that its meat has high [moisture](/source/Water_content) (71-76%) and [protein contents](/source/Protein) (18-22%), with low levels of [carbohydrates](/source/Carbohydrate) 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](/source/Organoleptic) were rated as fair.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Loza-Del Carpio |first1=Alfredo |last2=Mamani Flores |first2=Julio |last3=Loza-Del Carpio |first3=José |date=2019 |title=Proximal composition and organoleptic acceptability of the meat of five species of game birds of Lake Titicaca, Peru |journal=Ecosistemas y Recursos Agropecuarios |language=en |volume=6 |issue=16 |pages=103–114 |doi=10.19136/era.a6n16.1894 |issn=2007-9028|doi-access=free }}</ref> 

== Conservation ==

=== Population and Threats ===
The Puna teal is currently listed as [Least Concern](/source/Least-concern_species) by the [IUCN](/source/IUCN_Red_List).<ref name="iucn status 25 September 2021" /> 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.<ref name=":0" /> Its habitat is largely undisturbed, and overall, the population is considered stable.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> 

However, localized declines have been observed in [Lake Junín](/source/Lake_Junin) in [Peru](/source/Peru). As of 2014, Puna teal numbers have decreased significantly in [Lake Junín](/source/Lake_Junin) compared to estimates from previous years. This regional decline was likely linked to the loss of ''[Chara](/source/Chara_(alga))'', a preferred food for Puna teals, which is likely disappearing due to increased [eutrophication](/source/eutrophication), [siltation](/source/siltation), and [heavy metal contamination](/source/Toxic_heavy_metal).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dinesen |first1=Lars |last2=Chamorro |first2=Alan |last3=Fjeldså |first3=Jon |last4=Aucca |first4=Constantino |date=2019 |title=Long-term declines in waterbirds abundance at Lake Junín, Andean Peru |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bird-conservation-international/article/longterm-declines-in-waterbirds-abundance-at-lake-junin-andean-peru/3641C551E7273EB5D809774C59218936 |journal=Bird Conservation International |language=en |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=83–99 |doi=10.1017/S0959270918000230 |issn=0959-2709}}</ref> Additionally, some populations face pressure from [hunting](/source/hunting).<ref name=":2" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

* [http://www.wildfowl-photography.co.uk/wildfowl/puna-teal.htm Puna Teal Pictures and Further Information.]
* [https://xeno-canto.org/species/Spatula-puna Puna Teal Vocalizations.]
* Slager, D.L. & Chesser, T.R. (2018). [https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCprop787.htm Revise the generic classification and linear sequence of ''Anas'']''.'' 

* {{cite book|last=Clements|first= James|year=2007|url=https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=4566 |title=The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World|publisher= Cornell University Press|location= Ithaca}}
*[https://app.mybirdbuddy.com/birds/puna-teal/e6b8fa5e-f3fd-4c90-b100-d6063e528f11 Puna Teal Information.]
*[https://media.ebird.org/catalog?birdOnly=true&taxonCode=puntea1&mediaType=photo&sort=rating_rank_desc Puna Teal eBird Pictures.]

{{Commons category|Spatula puna}}
{{Wikispecies|Anas puna}}

{{Taxonbar|from1=Q929503|from2=Q28106890}}

Puna teal
Puna teal
Category:Birds of the Puna grassland
Puna teal
Puna teal

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Puna teal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puna_teal) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puna_teal?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.