# 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! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 24 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Gadwall](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Anas_strepera_pair.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anas_strepera_pair.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Mareca ## 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 - **Underwater Grazer:** Gadwall can tip head-first into water to reach yummy plants at the bottom, helping them find food without fully diving. - **Secret Camouflage:** The Gadwall has subtle grey-brown plumage that helps it blend perfectly into marshy reeds, making it hard for predators to spot. - **Wing Flash Signal:** 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 - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-mink) (*Mustela vison*) — Nests, eggs, and ducklings are prey for river predators. - **Eats:** [Broadleaf Arrowhead](https://www.snappit.app/explore/broadleaf-arrowhead) (*Sagittaria latifolia*) — Consumes seeds and tubers from various water plants. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch ducks from a distance and don't feed them bread. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Gadwall? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Gadwall? 46-58 cm ### What is Gadwall's wingspan? 78-90 cm ### How much does Gadwall weigh? 0.7-1.3 kg ### How long does Gadwall live? 5-10 years ### How fast can Gadwall move? 80 km/h ### What does Gadwall eat? Mostly eats watery plants and their seeds, with some tiny insects, making them primarily herbivores. ### Where is Gadwall usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cougar-mountain-regional-wildland-park) — Washington, US · Park - [Franks Tract State Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/franks-tract-state-recreation-area) — California, US · State Park - [Pointe Mouillee State Game Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pointe-mouillee-state-game-area) — Michigan, US · Nature Reserve - [Alaska SeaLife Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alaska-sealife-center) — Alaska, US · Zoo - [Attalla Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/attalla-downtown-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Bellevue Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellevue-botanical-garden) — Washington, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Gadwall](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/gadwall) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Gadwall: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gadwall)