What size is a garganey?

How can you tell the difference between male and female garganeys?

Female garganeys are duller than males with a striped facial pattern. The bill is pale grey and the legs and feet are olive-grey. Males in eclipse plumage are similar to the females although they are less dull and show most of the breeding plumage pattern.

Who first described the garganey?

The first formal description of the garganey was by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He introduced the binomial name Anas querquedula.

What does a garganey look like?

It is smaller than a mallard and slightly bigger than a teal. The male is most easily recognised with a broad white stripe over the eye. In flight it shows a pale blue forewing. It feeds by ‘dabbling’. Garganeys are listed as a Schedule 1 species.

Where do garganeys breed?

Garganey are rare breeding birds in the British Isles, with most breeding in quiet marshes in Norfolk and Suffolk. In Ireland a few pairs breed in County Wexford, with occasional breeding elsewhere. The garganey is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds ( AEWA) applies.

How do you identify a mallard drake?

When trying to identify mallards in the field, look for these clues: Yellow Bill: The male mallard’s bill is a rich yellow with a small black nail at the tip. The spatulate bill shape is typical of many ducks. Head Color: Mallard drakes have a bright iridescent green head.

How can you tell the difference between male and female geese?

Other than a couple of autosexing breeds, geese have the same plumage colors. Males and females are also similarly sized and have no real obvious distinguishing characteristics like a rooster’s sickle feathers. So how do you tell the genders apart?

Where do garganeys go in the winter?

By late autumn, garganeys are on their African wintering grounds, where they gather in big flocks, just as other ducks do in the UK in winter. This duck cuts an elegant figure alongside its relatives, with a long neck and long tail which, in the male, ends in an elongated black ‘pin’, formed by the two central tail feathers, that gives it its name.

Where can I see garganey Ducks?

A small but slightly gangly and big-billed duck, the garganey is unique among all our wildfowl in that it is a summer visitor. It is also rather uncommon, and because we only see it in the breeding season we rarely see more than a couple at a time. Look out for pairs together at coastal marshes and lakes from March.

What do garganey ducks eat?

These birds feed mainly by skimming rather than upending. The male has a distinctive crackling mating call; the female is rather silent for a female duck, but can manage a feeble quack . Garganey are rare breeding birds in the British Isles, with most breeding in quiet marshes in Norfolk and Suffolk.

What does a garganeys tail look like?

In breeding plumage male garganeys have dark brown backs with pale fringes on the feathers. The tail is grey-brown. On the upperwings there is a green speculum with white borders above and below. The upperwing coverts are pale slate-grey and the elongated scapulars have grey, dark green, black, and white stripes.

How can you tell the gender of a duck?

Males have a yellow or greenish beak, while females have an orange beak. During the eclipse phase, the beak color usually remains the same and can still be used to determine the gender of a duck. Compare the plumage of the ducks.

What is the origin of the word garganell?

The specific epithet is derived from Latin querquedula, a word believed to represent to its call. The common English name dates from the 17th century and comes from Lombard language gargenei, the plural of garganell, which ultimately comes from the Late Latin gargala “tracheal artery”.

What does a male mallard duck look like?

Distinctive Markings: A male mallard duck has bright-green head, yellow bill and white collar. The female has plain brown plumage with an orange bill. Both males and females have a blue wing patch with white borders, most obvious in flight.

How do you identify a female mallard?

These six key field marks are essential for identifying female mallards: Dirty Bill: Female mallards’ bills are a dirty orange color, but the amount of gray coloration on the bill can vary widely. They have the same spatulate shape as male mallards’ bills.

Do lobes determine the gender of geese?

I’ve heard a number of people say that the number of lobes (the fat deposits that hang between goose legs) can determine the gender of geese. They say that a “W” shape (2 lobes) is a male and a “U” shape (1 lobe) is a female.

How long does it take for a garganey to hatch?

Garganeys lay 8-11 buff or cream-coloured eggs which are incubated by the female alone for 21-23 days while being guarded by the male. The chicks have dark brown and pale yellow down. They fledge at about 35-40 days after hatching and are sexually mature at one year. What do garganeys eat?

Where are honeyguide wildlife holidays taking place?

This quiet south coast resort is often used a base for wildlife holidays, including for Honeyguide Wildlife Holidays. Immediately east of the town is an open area of fields that often holds migrants, such as Whinchats and Woodchat Shrikes.

When do the birds come to visit in the UK?

Winter visitors arrive from November to end of March and Kingfisher, Bluethroat, Starling, Robin and Black Redstart over winter.

What kind of birds live in the Alton Towers?

In the uplands on the plateaux and gorges there are Cirl Bunting, Alpine & Red-billed Chough, Woodlark and Black–eared Wheatear. Winter visitors arrive from November to end of March and Kingfisher, Bluethroat, Starling, Robin and Black Redstart over winter.

How can you tell if a holly is male or female?

Male holly flowers have four yellow stamens extending from the center of the flower. By contrast, each female bloom has a green ovary (that is, a green “bump” in the center of its bloom). 3 In the photo shown below, you can see four small yellow protrusions extending from the center of the flower.

How can you tell if a seedling is male or female?

As such, your seedlings can develop into three genders: male, female or hermaphrodite. You can tell by inspecting the pre-flowering that develops between the plant’s nodes.

How do you tell if a mallard is a gadwall?

The mallard has a thick bill with orange blotches on the top. If it has a streaked brown and tan overall body, what you are seeing is probably a Mallard. Also, should it be a Mallard its head would be more rounded than a Gadwall’s. The mallard has a round head that is dark with black eye-line.

What does a mallard’s Bill look like?

Dirty Bill: Female mallards’ bills are a dirty orange color, but the amount of gray coloration on the bill can vary widely. They have the same spatulate shape as male mallards’ bills.