Gadwall

Mareca strepera

The Gadwall is a lovely duck that loves to swim in ponds and lakes. It has a grayish-brown body and is often seen with other ducks, making it a friendly bird to watch!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Gadwall is a medium-sized grey-brown duck. Males have fine patterns on their body, a black rear, and a striking white speculum (wing patch) visible in flight. Females are mottled brown but also possess a white speculum, distinguishing them from many other dabbling ducks.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderAnseriformesFamilyAnatidaeGenusMareca

Gadwall

Interesting facts

A female Gadwall might lay her eggs in another duck's nest sometimes!

Gadwall ducks often build their nests far from water, hidden in tall grasses!

These ducks are found all over the world, from America to Asia!

They don't quack much; instead, males make a deep, reedy whistle sound!

Special abilities

Gadwall can tip head-first into water to reach yummy plants at the bottom, helping them find food without fully diving.

The Gadwall has subtle grey-brown plumage that helps it blend perfectly into marshy reeds, making it hard for predators to spot.

Gadwall has a bright white wing patch that flashes in flight, helping flock members stay together and identify each other.

Measurements & details

Length: 46-58 cm
Wingspan: 78-90 cm
Weight: 0.7-1.3 kg
Lifespan: 5-10 years
Top Speed: 80 km/h
Clutch Size: 7-12
Incubation: 24-27 days
Migration Distance: 4000 km

Diet & Feeding

Mostly eats watery plants and their seeds, with some tiny insects, making them primarily herbivores.

Age differences: Ducklings consume more protein-rich insects for rapid growth, shifting to more plants as they mature.

Primary Foods

Aquatic plants
Seeds
Pondweed
Algae
Aquatic insects

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Nests and ducklings are vulnerable to powerful aerial hunters.

eats

Curled Pondweed

Potamogeton crispus

Relies on abundant aquatic vegetation for food source.

eaten by

American Mink

Mustela vison

Nests, eggs, and ducklings are prey for river predators.

eats

Broadleaf Arrowhead

Sagittaria latifolia

Consumes seeds and tubers from various water plants.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Webbed Feet

Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Filter Feeder

Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.

Herbivorous

This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.