
The Eurasian teal – once Austria’s second most common duck after the mallard – is now critically endangered, with fewer than 100 breeding pairs remaining, conservationists have warned.
The organisation Birdlife reported the alarming decline on Wednesday, noting that increased recreational activities near water, the draining of wetlands, and changes in fish pond usage have contributed to the species’ decline.
As a result, Birdlife has named the Eurasian teal (Anas crecca) the Bird of the Year for 2025.
Climate change is also affecting the teal’s habitat, further reducing numbers at the southern edge of its range. Birdlife is calling for the restoration of damaged wetlands “to ensure the survival of Europe’s smallest duck.”
The Eurasian teal, notable for its striking plumage, breeds in quiet, shallow waters with dense vegetation along the shores. These habitats can be found in marshes, small lakes rich in plants, and fish ponds. A muddy area along the shore is essential, providing food for the ducks and their young.
During the non-breeding season, many Eurasian teals gather in Austria as they migrate from northern breeding grounds to moult. The wetlands of Seewinkel in Burgenland are particularly important, attracting thousands of birds between August and November. In September, Birdlife recorded around 23,000 teals there, a new record.
To support their energy needs during moulting and migration, the ducks rely on landscapes with quiet, diverse, and partially shallow waters. “Marshes, swamps, natural lakes, and rivers with large, natural floodplains have increasingly disappeared in recent decades,” said Gábor Wichmann, managing director of Birdlife Austria. He emphasised the need to protect the few habitats that remain and to fix the damage caused by humans. The EU regulation on restoring damaged ecosystems could provide a good framework for this, Wichmann added.