Garganey

The Garganey is a small dabbling duck species found across much of the Old World. It breeds in Europe and Asia, with populations migrating south to Africa and Southeast Asia for the winter. These ducks prefer freshwater habitats such as marshes, shallow lakes, and slow-moving rivers, often with dense vegetation cover.

The Garganey is sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females have different appearances. The male is easily recognizable during the breeding season by its distinctive pattern, featuring a grey head with a broad, creamy-white stripe extending from above the eye to the nape. It also has a mottled brown back and flanks. The female, in contrast, is more subtly colored, with a drab brown plumage that provides camouflage. Both sexes have a characteristic blue-grey forewing, visible in flight.

These ducks are omnivorous, feeding on a diet of aquatic invertebrates, seeds, and plant matter. They forage by dabbling, tipping their bodies head-down in the water to reach food near the bottom. Garganeys are migratory and typically arrive at their breeding grounds in the spring. They nest in concealed locations on the ground, usually near water. The clutch size varies, and the female incubates the eggs and cares for the ducklings. Their conservation status is generally considered of least concern, though local populations can be affected by habitat loss and degradation.