Garganey

15 hours ago door Hans

Points: 45

Spotted

The Garganey is a small dabbling duck with a unique breeding plumage for the male, featuring a broad white crescent stripe extending from the eye to the back of the neck. Females and immatures are mottled brown, similar to other small teals but with a distinct pale lore stripe. It is highly migratory, spending winters in warmer climates.

Where to spot

Breeds across much of temperate Eurasia, from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia. Winters extensively in sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Prefers shallow wetlands with dense vegetation.

How to spot

Identify breeding males by the distinct white eye-stripe. Females and immatures are best identified by their small size, pale supercilium, and a distinctive pale line at the base of the bill, as well as their rapid, agile flight.

When to spot

Best observed during the breeding season (April-July) in its European and Asian breeding grounds, or during migration (March-April, August-October) as they pass through various regions to their wintering grounds.

Where to spot

How to spot

When to spot

Credits: Door Dick Daniels (http://theworldbirds.org/) - Eigen werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11192172

Credits: Wikimedia Commons

The Garganey is the only European duck species that is entirely migratory, completely leaving its breeding grounds for warmer wintering areas in Africa and Asia.

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