Gadwall

Mareca strepera

The duck for people who like ducks. Subtle gray plumage that rewards a second look.

Population: ~4.05–4.86 million mature individuals globally (2018 estimate); stable trend
Habitat: Shallow freshwater marshes, prairie/steppe lakes, wet grasslands and reservoirs with abundant emergent aquatic vegetation; nests on the ground, often away from water; winters also in coastal marshes and gravel pits
Fun fact: Gadwalls are notable kleptoparasites among dabbling ducks, often snatching food away from diving ducks and American Coots just as they surface with it.
Range: Widespread across the Palearctic and Nearctic: breeds from northern Europe across temperate Asia, and in North America from the Great Lakes/prairie pothole region to Alaska and California; winters south to Central America, southern Europe, and South Asia; range expanding, with recent colonization of Great Britain and Ireland
Diet: Mainly aquatic plant material (leaves, stems, seeds) obtained by dabbling and up-ending; also invertebrates, especially by egg-laying females; frequently steals food (kleptoparasitism) from diving ducks and coots as they surface
Size: 0.525 m
Wingspan: 0.815 m
Lifespan: 19.5 years

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