Hottentot Teal
Spatula hottentota
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAnseriformes
- FamilyAnatidae (Anàtids)
- GenusSpatula (Shovelers and Allies)
- SpeciesSpatula hottentota (Hottentot Teal)
The blue-billed teal (Spatula hottentota), also sometimes called spotted teal and formerly Hottentot teal, is a species of dabbling duck of the genus Spatula. It is resident in eastern, southern, and western Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia west to Niger and Nigeria, and south to South Africa and Namibia, and also in Madagascar. It is generally sedentary, but shows nomadic behaviour in response to water requirements, moving away if drought causes wetlands to dry out. The blue-billed teal breeds year round, depending on rainfall, and stays in small groups or pairs. They build nests above water in tree stumps and use vegetation. Ducklings leave the nest soon after hatching, and the mother's parenting is limited to providing protection from predators and leading young to feeding areas. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Table Mountain National Park
Cape Shoveler
Spatula smithii
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiaca
Yellow-billed Duck
Anas undulata
Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschata
Spur-winged Goose
Plectropterus gambensis
African Black Duck
Anas sparsa
Cape Teal
Anas capensis
Black Swan
Cygnus atratus
Comb Duck
Sarkidiornis melanotos
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Southern Pochard
Netta erythrophthalma
Red-billed Teal
Anas erythrorhyncha
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Hottentot Teal at Table Mountain National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there