Gadwall


	Gadwall
	Anas strepera

A common duck of lakes and ponds, the Gadwall appears drab from a distance. Up close, however, the male shows a remarkable pattern of intricate markings on all of its body feathers.

Interesting Information

The Gadwall duck was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 under its current scientific name.
It is not as gregarious as some dabbling ducks outside the breeding season and tends to form only small flocks.
A group of ducks has many collective nouns, including a "brace", "flush", "paddling", "raft", and "team" of ducks.

Description

Adult Description

Medium-sized duck.
Gray body and paler gray head.
Hind end black.
White patch in wing, may be hidden.
Length Range: 48-58 cm (19-23 in)
Weight: 998 g (35.2 oz)
Size: Large (16 - 32 in)
Color Primary: Gray
Underparts: White
Upperparts: Brown
Back Pattern: Scaled or Scalloped, Mottled
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: Scaled or Scalloped, Mottled

Immature

Similar to adult female.

Photo taken from: The Sibley Field Guide by David Allen Sibley

Habitat

Preferred habitats include large, shallow ponds with lots of marsh plants.

Behavior

Dabbles, filter-feeds at surface of water, tips-up in shallow water, and makes occasional dives in deeper water.

Food

Feeds on pondweeds, naiads, widgeon grass, watermilfoil, algae, seeds, and aquatic invertebrates; forages in deeper water than most other dabbling ducks.

Taxonomy

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Anseriformes
Family:	Anatidae
Subfamily:	Anserinae
Genus:	Anas
Species:	Anas strepera
Subspecies:	Anas strepera couesi
	Anas strepera strepera

Similar Species

No other dabbling duck has a small square white patch at base of wings.
All other dabblers that have a black rear end have white just in front of it.

Bird Sound

A raspy "reb.

Eggs look like this

Photo taken from: ARCTOS Collaborative Collection Management Solution

	Sources Used To Construct This Page
	LeSchack, C. R., S. K. McKnight, and G. R. Hepp. 1997. Gadwall (Anas strepera). In The Birds of North America, No. 283 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.

	All photos and videos © Rick Swartzentrover - Free for non-profit use.