Garganey

Garganey
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Spatula querquedula

Malay Name: Itik Kening Putih

Chinese Name: 白眉鸭

Range: Breeds in northern temperate Europe and Asia, wintering south to equatorial Africa, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, southern China, Southeast Asia and Australia.

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 36-41 cm

Identification: Male has mostly dark brownish head and neck with diagnostic bold white supercilium. In flight shows mostly bluish-grey upperwing-coverts and blackish-green secondaries bordered by broad white bands. Female resembles male but has narrow whitish supercilium and large whitish loral patch extending in line below blackish eyestripe.

Habitat: Lakes, marshes and suitable wetlands.

Behaviour/Ecology:

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured articles:

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Garganey Spatula querquedula
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Early date 06 Oct 1988
Late date 26 Mar 1989
Bar chart not displayed for this species; no records in the given time period.
This used to be the only migratory duck in Singapore with annual sightings, but sightings have completely dried up recently. Out of six migratory ducks in Singapore, this is the only species with no confirmed records since 2007. The last record was in 2001.
Male Garganey at Mulbjerge, Nordjylland, Denmark
Female Garganey at Mulbjerge, Nordjylland, Denmark
Male Garganey at Norfolk, UK. Photo Credit: Gill McLennan
A pair of Garganeys at Norfolk, UK. Photo Credit: Nick Wakeling
Male Garganey at Norfolk, UK. Photo Credit: Nick Wakeling
Female Garganey at Norfolk, UK. Photo Credit: Nick Wakeling

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Garganey)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Spatula querquedula. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22680313A86016410.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.

Lim, K. S. (2009). The Avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore).

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Garganey. Retrieved on April 15, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/garganey.

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