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| Wetlands & Waterfowl's Guide to North American Waterfowl: | |||
| Click to load: American Bittern American Widgeon Black- Crowned Night Heron Black Duck Blue-Winged Teal Canada Goose Canvasback Cattle Egret Common Egret Cinnamon Teal Gadwall Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green-Winged Teal Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Mallard Mute Swan Northern Pintail Northern Shoveler Redhead Ring-Necked Snowy Egret Snow Goose Trumpeter Swan Wood Duck |
Gadwall Scroll down for details  Scientific Name: Anas
strepera Habitat: ponds, lakes and marshes Appearance: 19-23" long. Small white wing patch shows in flight. Male: Grey body, sandy brown head; feathers under tail black Female: sandy brown body; best distinguished by white wing patches. Food: Aquatic plants, seeds, mollusks, and insects Nesting: Nest is a down-lined hollow of grass, hidden in vegetation near water, often on island. Female lays 7-15 cream colored eggs and incubates for 25-28 days. Young are downy, leave the nest soon after hatching and fly at about 7-9 weeks. |
Although the Gadwall probably has a wider world
distribution than any other duck, it is not plentiful anywhere. the Gadwall is rarely seen
in large flocks, and are most likely found with other species such as Pintail and
Widgeons. Of all the puddle ducks, the Gadwall is the one most likely to be seen diving
rather than tipping up for its food, though this is not a common occurance. While resting
on the water, Gadwalls look like small to medium gray-brown ducks with pale heads. They
may be confused with Black ducks, and are best recognized for their conspiciously white
speculum toward the back of their wings. Additional Photographs: |
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