Gadwall

Photo of a pair of gadwall floating on water.
Scientific Name
Anas strepera
Family
Anatidae (ducks, geese, swans) in the order Anseriformes
Description

Compared to many other male ducks, the adult male gadwall is rather drab, with a finely barred, grayish body plumage, a fairly light, grayish-brown head, a black rump, and a prominent white speculum (wing patch). The female is brown and similar to a female mallard, except the gadwall has a white speculum and belly. The female quacks, and the male makes a low nasal mepp.

Similar species: To separate gadwall from other ducks, note the male’s drab color that extends all the way to the black rear end (there’s no white patch in front of the black). To separate female gadwall from female mallards, note the gadwall’s white speculum and belly; also, its bill is thinner than the mallard’s and it has an orangish stripe along the edge.

Size

Length: 20 inches (tip of bill to tip of tail).

Where To Find
image of Gadwall Distribution Map

Statewide.

Look for gadwall in marshes, swamps, sloughs, streams, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. They usually forage in shallow water. They also sometimes feed in cropland. Like other dabbling ducks, they can take flight by jumping directly from the water into the air. Compared to those of bay or diving ducks, their wings are relatively large in relation to their body weight, giving them good lift, so they don’t need to flap across the water surface before taking flight.

Gadwall forage near the surface for aquatic vegetation and invertebrates in shallow water. They sometimes steal food from diving ducks when they reach the surface. Gadwall tend to increase their percentage of animal material during nesting season, when they require more protein.

Common migrant. Summer observations of gadwall are rare, but it has been known to nest in the state. Uncommon winter resident occurring primarily in southern Missouri.

In Missouri, we usually see gadwall as they migrate in spring and fall. They spend winters in the southern United States and Mexico, and they breed to our northwest in the famous “prairie pothole” region in the U.S. northern Great Plains and the Canadian prairie provinces. The many shallow wetlands in these prairies have been called “duck factories.” As breeding grounds they are crucial for the survival of many North American waterfowl.

Gadwall are one of the most popular species shot by duck hunters, and their harvest is carefully managed by international, federal, and state game laws. Preserving the wetlands they require is important for maintaining their healthy populations.

Gadwall help control the populations of the plants and small aquatic animals they eat, and as eggs, young, and adults they are eaten by a variety of predators. Although adults can fly and swim away when threatened, their eggs and young are much more vulnerable.

Media Gallery
Photo of a pair of gadwall floating on water.
The male gadwall is a rather drab-looking duck with a black rear end and a white speculum (wing patch).
Jim Rathert
Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Photo of a male gadwall.
Note the male gadwall’s drab color that extends all the way to the black rear end (there’s no white patch in front of the black).
Jim Rathert
Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Photo of a female gadwall floating on water.
Note the female gadwall’s white speculum and belly; also, its bill is thinner than the mallard’s and it has an orangish stripe along the edge.
Jim Rathert
Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
3/5
Photo of a gadwall pair floating on water.
In Missouri, the gadwall is a common migrant. We usually see gadwall as they migrate in spring and fall.
Jim Rathert
Photo by Jim Rathert, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Gadwall on the Wing
Gadwall are one of several waterfowl species that migrate through Missouri’s wetlands and arrive earlier than the cold-hardy Mallards.
Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Photo of a pair of gadwall floating on water.
Photo of a male gadwall.
Photo of a female gadwall floating on water.
Photo of a gadwall pair floating on water.
Gadwall on the Wing
Similar Species

Where to See Species

McKinny Conservation Area welcome sign near parking area, with view of landscape beyond
McKinny Conservation Area
This area was donated to the Conservation Department in 1989 by Joseph J. McKinny in memory of his parents, William W. and Anna McKinny.
About Birds in Missouri

About 350 species of birds are likely to be seen in Missouri, though nearly 400 have been recorded within our borders. Most people know a bird when they see one — it has feathers, wings, and a bill. Birds are warm-blooded, and most species can fly. Many migrate hundreds or thousands of miles. Birds lay hard-shelled eggs (often in a nest), and the parents care for the young. Many communicate with songs and calls.