Callonetta

Callonetta is a genus of small ducks that contains one species, the ringed teal, Callonetta leucophrys, a bird of marshes, pools and forest wetlands in south-central South America. It was formerly often grouped with the perching ducks of the tribe Cairinini, but it is now known to be closer to the shelducks and belongs in the subfamily Tadorninae. The ringed teal is 35 to 38 cm long, with a wingspan near 70 cm and a weight of 190 to 360 g. The drake has a chestnut back, pale grey flanks and a salmon breast speckled in black, while the female is olive-brown with a white-streaked head. It breeds in northern Argentina, southern and central Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, often nesting in tree cavities, and it forms strong pair bonds.