Garganey

About

A small migratory teal. Males are unmistakable with a broad white supercilium, chocolate-brown head, and bluish-grey wing coverts. The only Eurasian duck that is fully migratory, wintering in Africa and South Asia. Breeds across Eurasia; one of the most long-distance migrant ducks.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Wingspan	37.6 cm	14.8 in
Weight	401.25 g	14.15 oz

Identification

Plumage

Breeding males have chocolate-brown head with sweeping white supercilium. Blue-gray forewing; green speculum with white border. Gray flanks with white vermiculations. Females brown with white loral stripe.

Habitat & Range

Breeds on freshwater marshes, flooded meadows, and lake margins in Eurasia from Europe east to Siberia. Winters across sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia in wetlands of all kinds.

🏖️ Coastal 🌿 Wetland

Geographic Range

Breeds across the Palearctic; winters from western Europe and North Africa east through South Asia to Southeast Asia.

Diet & Feeding

Eats seeds, plant matter, and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow wetlands; diet shifts toward invertebrates in breeding season.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Nest type: SC. Incubation: 21-23 days. Fledging: 35-40 days.

Clutch Size

6-14

Sound

Song

Male produces a distinctive mechanical rattle or craking sound; female gives a subdued quack. The rattling male call is unlike any other teal and immediately diagnostic.

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Anseriformes (Waterfowl)
Family	Anatidae (Ducks, Geese & Swans)
Genus	Spatula
Species	Spatula querquedula

Distribution

Garganey has been recorded in 6 countries.

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Present Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇺🇸 United States

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Garganey eat?

Eats seeds, plant matter, and aquatic invertebrates; dabbles in shallow wetlands; diet shifts toward invertebrates in breeding season.

Where does the Garganey live?

Breeds on freshwater marshes, flooded meadows, and lake margins in Eurasia from Europe east to Siberia. Winters across sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia in wetlands of all kinds.

Is the Garganey endangered?

The Garganey has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Garganey nest?

Nest type: SC. Incubation: 21-23 days. Fledging: 35-40 days.

What does the Garganey sound like?

Male produces a distinctive mechanical rattle or craking sound; female gives a subdued quack. The rattling male call is unlike any other teal and immediately diagnostic.

How big is the Garganey?

The Garganey has a wingspan of 37.6 cm, weight of 401.25 g.

What order and family does the Garganey belong to?

The Garganey (Spatula querquedula) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.