Gadwall

The Gadwall, Anas strepera , is a common and widespread duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, North America and Asia.

This dabbling duck is strongly migratory and winters further south than its breeding range. It is not as gregarious as some dabbling ducks outside of the breeding season and tends to form only small flocks.

The breeding male is a beautifully patterned grey, with a black rear end and a brilliant white speculum, obvious in flight or at rest.

The females are light brown, with plumage much like a female Mallard. They can be distinguished from that species by the dark orange-edged bill, smaller size, and lack of an obvious speculum.

In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake looks more like the female.

It is a bird of open wetlands, such as wet grassland or marshes with dense fringing vegetation, and usually feeds by dabbling for plant food with head submerged. It nests on the ground, often some distance from water.

This is a fairly quiet species. The male has a hoarse whistling call, whereas the female has a mallard-like quack.