The marbled teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris) is a small duck that can measure between 39 and 42 cm in length. The species is distributed throughout the Mediterranean region, southwest Asia and central-west Africa, breeding in two large nuclei on the peninsula; the marshes of the Guadalquivir and the wetlands of the south of Alicante. These birds choose North Africa to winter.

Based on its appearance, the marbled teal is light brown, with whitish and yellowish spots, they wear a dark mask and feathers like a small ponytail on the nape of their necks. However, there are differences between the male and female specimens of the species; The male marbled teal shows a darker brown color on the back and a thin, dark beak, while the female is smaller in size and has a smaller tail and slightly different beak coloration.   In addition, young teals can be distinguished by having a paler and grayer plumage color and with less obvious looks than adult specimens.

Under suitable conditions, the marbled teal can lay about 12 eggs , although slightly higher clutches have also been recorded. Teal chicks leave the nest as soon as they are born and feed themselves, but they are cared for by the mother. These ducks dive to depths of less than 20 cm where they feed on seeds of aquatic plants and invertebrates.

There are different dangers that threaten its conservation, the main one being the state of degradation and desiccation of its habitat, such as shallow and seasonal wetlands. Another cause of its regression is the diseases associated with poor water quality, which has caused notable mortality episodes. Precisely, the marbled teal, being an aquatic bird, is considered a bioindicator of water quality since the population fluctuations of the species are related to changes in the state of the wetlands. The high mortality of chicks that are trapped in cemented carcasses without the possibility of escape and the possible competition with introduced species due to their impact on aquatic vegetation are also noteworthy. Finally, accidental hunting can be a problem, mainly in the Levante area, due to its easy confusion at times of low light with other similar species that can be hunted.

In 2015 figures, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) established a population of 25-120 breeding pairs in the European Union. In the case of Spain, the same body recorded in its 2012 record a population of 22 to 110 breeding pairs, with 54 being the 2015 record. Globally, the IUCN includes it on its Red List as “vulnerable”. But in Spain the marbled teal is listed in the National Catalogue of Threatened Species as “in danger of extinction”.

Due to this situation of the species, the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment has collaborated with numerous organizations in the conditioning of different wetlands, the development of conservation strategies and in different activities that help mitigate the decline of the marbled teal.

In this line, he has coordinated the presentation of a large LIFE project, together with the Autonomous Communities of Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, Murcia and Valencia, SEO/Birdlife and ANSE, for the recovery of the marbled teal in Spain. The general objective of this initiative is to ensure that the Spanish population is no longer considered “in danger of extinction”, promoting and promoting the necessary actions to eliminate the risk of disappearance it faces and leading it to a more favourable conservation status.