The grey teal (Anas gracilis) is a dabbling duck found in open wetlands in Australia and New Zealand. Description It can be identified due to the presence of a crimson coloured iris in its eyes. This crimson colour is relatively more prominent in adult males. It is a mottled brown duck with white and green flashes on its wings. Males and females share the same colouration, in contrast to the related chestnut teal, whose male and female are strikingly different. The grey teal has almost identical colouration to the female chestnut teal and the grey can only be distinguished by its lighter coloured neck and paler face. Juveniles are paler than adults, especially on the head. However, they can be identified by a dull brown eye until matured. The bill of the grey teal is a blue-grey colour with dark lining around the edges. Feet are a similar colour to that of the bill being grey. The head of the grey teal can be described as plain/slightly streaked, with a dark crown and cream coloured chin/throat and cheeks. The eggs of the grey teal are a creamy white colour and are not distinctly speckled. An average egg is in length and in width. The grey teal nests near its favoured freshwater lakes and marshes, usually on the ground, but also in tree holes or rabbit burrows. It is a vocal duck, especially at night. The male gives a soft , and the female has a loud quack. The grey teal is a gregarious species. In Australia it is nomadic, rapidly colonising suitable habitat following rain. In 1957, large numbers fled Australia, moving to New Zealand to escape drought. Adult grey teal, Anas gracilis, undergo a flightless moult that is not fixed in the year. Before breeding season mature birds, both male and female, will undergo a body moult that excludes the wings. Then after breeding season, both partners will undergo a complete body moult (including wings). According to Janet Kear (2005), in Australia the moult of this species is correlated with climate conditions. Indeed during prolonged wet season birds postpone wing moult in order to extend the breeding one – probably in order to better exploit wetlands resources. This postponement could be explained by the fact that ducks try not to moult and breed at the same time. For some species of birds it is even impossible to do both