Specie's Page                                               Water Fowl - Garganey Duck

Garganey Duck:

UK Status: Summer visitor that breeds in the UK.

Habitat: This bird likes quite pools, marshes and other wetlands, and is very secretive.

Breeding: In the UK these birds mostly breed in Norfolk and Suffolk in England, and some pairs in Ireland. Nests are made in meadows close to water, and consist of a scrape in the ground, lined with vegetation and a few feathers. There is normally only one brood per year, and the female lays eight to eleven buff to cream coloured eggs. Eggs hatch in about three weeks, and the ducklings are covered in dark brown and yellowish coloured hair.

Comment: This bird migrates in the winter to India, Africa and a few other warmer locations. Females are very generic looking, and not easy to tell apart from other species of female ducks. She is very quite, barely managing a faint quack.

BE AWARE PLEASE:  Ground nesting birds are very vulnerable to having their eggs and chicks smashed or crushed. This can happen when people are unaware of their presence, or when dogs are allowed to run loose during the breeding season. Nests are very well hidden, and are not usually spotted until it's to late. Dogs often have no concern for ground nesting birds, please keep them on their leads from April through to the end of September.