Gadwall

Overview

Gadwall: Large dabbling duck with finely barred gray body, black rump and undertail coverts, white belly, and rust-brown shoulders. Head and neck are gray-brown; bill is gray. Wings have black-bordered white speculum most visible in flight. Legs and feet are yellow. Fast direct flight.

Range and Habitat

Gadwall: Breeds near seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands, mainly in the shortgrass, tallgrass, and mixed prairie regions of the U.S. and Canada. Spends winters in southern two-thirds of the U.S., with greatest concentrations found in the Central and Mississippi Flyways; also a common winter visitor to Guatemala. Preferred habitats include large, shallow ponds with lots of marsh plants.

INTERESTING FACTS

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.