Garganey, Anas querquedula, is a species of dabbling duck found in wetland and river and lake ecosystems. It is a widespread summer visitor to much of Europe. In the breeding season this species frequents small, shallow ponds and lakes with abundant floating, emergent and fringing vegetation (that is not too tall or dense, such as bulrush (Typha spp. )), in grass dominated environments, like swampy meadows, flooded fields, shallow freshwater marshes. It is a highly sociable and gregarious species, and regularly forms large congregations of several hundred on passage but whilst breeding can be found in single pairs or small groups. Meadows are the favoured nesting areas of this species, with nests rarely located more than 150 m from water (usually within 20 m) (European Red List 2015).

Anas querquedula has a breeding population size of 12000-24000 pairs and a breeding range size of 825000 square kilometres in the EU27. The breeding population trend in the EU27 is Decreasing in the short term and Decreasing in the long term.

The EU population status of Anas querquedula was assessed as Threatened, as the species meets one or more of the IUCN Red List criteria for threatened at the EU27 scale.