Birdwatch: Garganeys, the most overlooked among other bright-coloured ducks

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However, to a trained and aspiring bird-watcher, the male is a treat to see. Even with its trademark white eye-stripe of the breeding plumage being not very significant, the black and grey streaked upperparts clearly separated into back and rump, the light grey marbled flanks, mottled chestnut-brown face and front is a wonder of nature’s creativity with minimal colour.

Seeing the Garganey take off from the water with ease and confident wing flaps to reveal the hidden blue and green of its wings makes the sight complete. The females, like those of many other ducks, are drab and hard to distinguish from those of the Eurasian Teals which can be spotted around the same time.

Garganeys are passage visitors in the Inter State Chandigarh Region (ISCR). Large waterbodies like the Sukhna Lake, Siswan Dam and the Motemajra waterbody are its favourite places.

India hosts probably the largest population of migrating Garganey with most of them first arriving at the Gangetic Plains before radiating all over India, including back northwards, for the season. Unlike the reedy marshes of their Central Asian and Central Siberian breeding habitat, they prefer open water and mix readily with other ducks. They feed in shallow waters without posing any competition, skimming the surface with the spatula-like beaks of the first part of its scientific name spatula querquedula (the second part alludes to its harsh crow-like breeding season call). Garganey feed on aquatic invertebrates and some parts of aquatic plants.

Classified as ‘Least Concern’ by the (International Union for Conservation of Nature), Garganeys will continue to visit us if we maintain healthy waterbodies for them.

(Gajinder Singh Bains is a birdwatcher)