Cape teal

The Cape teal is found mostly in South Africa, where it is especially abundant in the Western Cape. It prefers to live in salty, brackish vleis, often with dense reeds, and is also very common in sewerage ponds. It is nomadic, although it rarely moves more than 250 km. It feeds mainly on insects, with about a quarter of its diet dedicated to plant matter. The female builds the nest, which is a shallow bowl in the ground, filled with aquatic vegetation and feathers. It lays 4-13 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female, for 26-30 days. The chicks, once dry, are immediately led by their mother to the water, as they know how to dive and swim by instinct. They remain with their mother for about 56 days, after which they start to become independent.