General

Garganey: Small, strikingly patterned dabbling duck with black-streaked, gray upperparts, chestnut-brown mottled face and breast, and pale gray flanks. White stripe above eye and running down neck is distinctly visible. Wings have pale blue shoulder patches and dark green speculum with white borders visible in flight. Female resembles female Blue-winged Teal, but is paler brown, has pale gray shoulder patches, and blue-green speculum with white borders. Rare visitor to Alaska.

Range and Habitat

Garganey: Native of Eurasia; breeds locally from Britain and France to central Europe, north to southern Sweden and more continuously from eastern Europe into Russia. Regular migrant in west and central Aleutians and other Alaskan islands. Preferred habitats include shallow freshwater lakes and marshes with abundant marginal vegetation.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

No data available.

Interesting Facts

 The Garganey was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 under its current scientific name.

 These birds feed mainly by skimming rather than upending.

 A group of ducks has many collective nouns, including a "brace", "flush", "paddling", "raft", and "team" of ducks.

Author

Gary Owen Dick

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