Garganey

Garganey is a small, surface-feeding duck, slightly larger than its cousin, the Winter Garganey. The adult male can be recognised at first glance by its long white eyebrow going up to the neck, tapering off, outlined by the blackish cap and highlighted by the vine-coloured cheeks. To identify the rest, just look at a beautiful profile photo showcasing the finely grey speckled white flanks and the long grey scapulars above them. In flight, the wings display their attraction. Above, the grey covert feathers of the arm precede the mirror of the secondary white remiges centred with dark green. Underneath, an originality; the bird appears bicoloured, dark at the front (in front of the wing, head, neck and chest) and light at the back in strong contrast, particularly the rest of the white alar coverts. The beak is dark, brownish-red, and the iris is honey-coloured.
The adult female has nothing in common with the male except the silhouette, of course, and the mirror of the wing, however narrower. The plumage is a combination of brown and very cryptic beige. As with the male, it is necessary to focus the attention on the head if there is no male nearby. This is marked laterally by three longitudinal stripes going from the beak to the neck, one blackish-brown passing by the eye and the two others, whitish on each side of the first. A unique case among our ducks. Often, a clear spot can be observed against the base of the beak. In addition to the size and stature, one can also pay attention to the bicoloured mirror of the wing.
The juvenile cannot be distinguished from the female. Plumage may be a bit warmer and more finely marked ventrally.