Garganey
Spatula querquedula
About This Species
Look for a small dabbling duck in shallow marshes and wetlands, with breeding males showing a distinctive broad pale stripe above the eye. It breeds across temperate Eurasia and migrates long distances to winter in Africa and South Asia, so timing a visit to passage or wintering wetlands with open shallow water and muddy margins improves the odds of a sighting.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Keep a reasonable distance from resting and feeding flocks, particularly at migration stopover wetlands where disturbance can force birds to burn reserves needed for onward travel.
- Wild bird protections apply across its wide Eurasian and African range, but the specific rules and enforcement vary by country, so check local regulations rather than assuming a single standard.
LCAvesAnseriformesAnatidae
Seasonal Activity
688,354 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
Photo
(c) Ксения Соварцева, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ксения Соварцева
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.