The Speckled Teal is a small duck that feeds at the water's surface. Dark spots mark its neck and breast, while plumage and bill color vary with subspecies, sex, and age.
It is 37–43 cm long. Dark spots extend from the neck across the breast, and brown-toned feathers have dark tips. Inner wing feathers can show green or purple iridescence.
It feeds by floating and reaching down from the surface, taking small aquatic invertebrates and seeds. In colder seasons it may also eat items such as decaying kelp.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.