| Garganey | |
|---|---|
 male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Family: | Anatidae |
| Genus: | Spatula |
| Species: | Spatula querquedula |
The Garganey (Spatula querquedula, previously included in the genus Anas) is a small Eurasian duck.
Description[]
Measuring 37-41 cm in length and 60-63 cm in wingspan and weighing around 350 g, the Garganey is one of the smallest dabbling ducks, only slightly larger than the Common Teal. It is markedly sexually dimorphic: the male is mostly brown with reddish tones on the head and chest, grey sides, pale grey wings with a dark green speculum bordered by two white bars, and a conspicuous white crescent over the eye to the side of the nape, whilst the female, slightly smaller, has a completely brown body, wings of a darker grey, and a distinctive head pattern with a pale supercilium, a pale spot at the base of the bill and a whitish throat. The juvenile is similar to the adult female, but with narrower wing bars and no speculum.
Voice[]
The characteristic flight call is a nasal "knek". The mating call is a dry, prolonged growl.
Behaviour[]
The Garganey usually travels and forages in small groups, never forming large flocks like the Common Teal does. The Garganey is capable of reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h in flight.
Feeding[]
This duck's diet includes seeds, plants, insects, larvae, small fish, and tadpoles. The Garganey rarely ever upends, instead feeding by skimming the water surface or dipping its head.
Breeding[]
The Garganey reaches its breeding grounds in late March or in April. The courtship display takes place frequently between several couples. The ducks swim in a circle, the males following the females with their feathers fluffed up, their head low and their bill in the water, before suddenly taking off and leaving, flying low above the surface. Towards the end of April, in May, or in June, the female builds a nest on the ground or in a hidden crevice. She incubates her 7-11 light brown eggs for 21-25 days and then raises the ducklings alone for about a month. In July, Garganeys start gathering in small groups to prepare for migration.
Distribution and habitat[]
A Palearctic species, the Garganey inhabits western, central, eastern and northeastern Europe, including the coasts of southeastern England and Scandinavia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and south-central Russia all the way east to Kamchatka. This is the only duck species to leave the European continent completely in autumn. It winters in southeastern Asia, the Indian subcontinent, parts of the Middle East, and tropical Africa, where it frequents rice fields. The Garganey breeds on shallow internal waters, including lakes, ponds, marshes and swamps, preferably with lots of vegetation and in the proximity of prairies or fields. During migration, it often stops by flooded areas.