A small, often unobtrusive duck of wetlands bordered by reeds and other vegetation. The smart male is easy to recognise, showing a bold white eyebrow on a dark brown head, pale grey flanks, and a light grey forewing that stands out in flight. The female closely resembles a female Green-winged Teal but has a more defined head pattern, with a paler eyebrow, darker eye-stripe, and a clean whitish throat without streaking. It breeds widely across Eurasia and winters in Africa and southern Asia. During migration it may appear on more open water, including tidal mudflats. Frequently mixes with other ducks and feeds mainly by dabbling at the surface.