[3] The drake has a rich chestnut back, pale grey flanks, and a salmon-coloured breast speckled in black.

Females have an olive-brownish back, a head blotched and striated in white, and pencilled barring on a pale chest and belly.

Both males and females have a dark tail, a contrasting pale rump, and a distinctive white patch on the wing.

Ringed teals also have webbed toes with long, pointed claws that specialize in allowing the birds to sit on tree branches.

The ringed teal breeds in north-west Argentina and Paraguay, also occurring in Bolivia, Brazil and Uruguay.

In general, courting consists of large amounts of preening, flashing the iridescent green speculum, and swimming in figure eights around the female of interest while vocalizing.

Until fledging, the chicks stay in a close group and learn quickly from their parents how to forage, swim efficiently, and avoid predators.

Their habitats include tropical, swampy forests and marshy clearings in well-wooded lowlands, as well as secluded pools and small streams.