Ducks, geese, and swans · Waterfowl
Gadwall
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Mareca strepera
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Voice
Call
Song
How to recognize it
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46–56 cm long
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Breeding male grey; in flight, white speculum over a chestnut wing patch
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Female pale brown, with dark orange bill edges and a white belly
About the species
A breeding male is patterned grey, with a chestnut patch on the wings, a black rear, and a white patch that shows clearly in flight. Females are mottled light brown, with a pale belly and dark orange along the bill’s edge. After breeding, males become browner and look more like females.
At the water’s edge, it feeds with its head submerged and can also dive for food. It is usually quiet: males give a low grunt and whistle during courtship, while females make a sharper, higher-pitched quack.
It breeds around shallow lakes and marshes with plenty of waterside vegetation, then uses larger lakes and coastal wetlands outside the breeding season. Aquatic plants and algae make up most of its food, with insects and other small animals added during breeding; many populations move south for winter.
Did you know?
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Loses 16% of her weight on the nest
An incubating female gadwall burns through up to 16 per cent of her body weight while sitting on the eggs.
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Where to find
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During the breeding season, look for Gadwalls feeding with their heads underwater in the shallow, plant-fringed edges of small, quiet ponds.
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After the ducklings hatch, scan larger, deeper lakes and reservoirs, where a female leads her brood through deeper water.
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During migration and in winter, look for small flocks feeding with their heads and necks underwater in coastal bays, lagoons and marshy lowlands.
