Garganey

(Spatula querquedula) (Anas querquedula)

Category of conservation concern (IUCN, 2020) – Least Concern

Population size: 2020: 51-168 pairs (2007: 150-350 pairs)

Distribution pattern

With relatively wide, dispersed and at some regions grouped distribution. Mainly along the Danube River and in the Danubian Plain, the Thracian Plain, along the Black Sea coast and in the Sofia Field. Also, found in bigger settlements (Sofia). The most significant breeding sites are along the Danube River (Srebarna Lake, the fishponds Mechka and Orsoya), at the Burgas Wetlands and in the Thracian Plain (along Maritsa and Tundzha Rivers). To some extent the distribution depends on the water level at the wetlands, some habitats disappear when the wetlands dry up.

Population estimation for the period 2013 – 2020: During the period 2013-2020, the species was not found in 79 squares, where it was observed before 2013. The deterioration of some of the habitats explains their disappearance, as well as the negative trend in the breeding population of the species during the last 10 years. New breeding sites have been established in 13 squares.

Population size in Special Protection Areas of Natura 2000: 50-141 pairs (87% of the population). The highest numbers have been registered in the SPAs Belene Islands Complex (12-25 pairs), Kalimok Complex (10-20 pairs), and the Hadji Dimitrovo fishponds (10-17 pairs).

Comparative distribution of the species compared to the first breeding birds atlas (Iankov, 2007): Breeding locality until 2007 | Breeding locality until 2007, confirmed after 2015 – | New breeding locality after 2015. – The breeding localities after 2015 are identified on a base of raw data from smartbirds.org.

Habitats

Breeds in various wetlands and mostly in bogs and marshes of different size (water fringe vegetation), in coastal lagoons, standing fresh waters and standing brackish waters, as well as in humid grassland and tall herb communities, when situated on the banks of the wetlands.

Trends in population changes for the period 2013-2020

Threats

Drainage of wetlands, changes in the water levels and in the hydrological regime of water bodies during the breeding season, disturbance, poaching.

Svilen Chesmedjiev, Kalin Velev