LC
Blue-billed Teal Spatula hottentota



Taxonomy

Taxonomic note
Normally placed in Anas. Closest to S. puna and S. versicolor (Johnson & Sorenson 1999), and all three sometimes placed together in genus Punanetta. Earlier name Anas punctata suppressed owing to confusion over type specimens (ICZN 1977). Monotypic.

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2024 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 19,500,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 36700-141000 mature individuals poor estimated 2023
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 2.85 years - - -

Population justification: The global population size is estimated at 55,100-211,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2023), which equates to 36,700-141,000 mature individuals. The overall population trend is suspected to be decreasing over 10 years (Wetlands International 2023).

Trend justification:   .


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Angola extant native yes
Botswana extant native yes
Burundi extant native yes
Cameroon extant native yes
Chad extant native yes
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the extant native yes
Djibouti extant native yes
Eritrea extant native yes
Eswatini extant vagrant yes
Ethiopia extant native yes
Kenya extant native yes
Lesotho extant vagrant yes
Madagascar extant native yes
Malawi extant native yes
Mozambique extant native yes
Namibia extant native yes
Niger extant native yes
Nigeria extant native yes
Rwanda extant native yes
Somalia extant vagrant yes
South Africa extant native yes
Sudan extant native yes
Tanzania extant native yes
Uganda extant native yes
Zambia extant native yes
Zimbabwe extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Botswana Lake Ngami
Zambia Kafue Flats

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) suitable resident
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Artificial/Aquatic - Wastewater Treatment Areas suitable resident
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over 8ha) suitable resident
Grassland Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded suitable resident
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) major resident
Wetlands (inland) Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) major resident
Altitude 0 - 2250 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Food - human subsistence, national
Pets/display animals, horticulture international

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Blue-billed Teal Spatula hottentota. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/blue-billed-teal-spatula-hottentota on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.