Spring Migration Arrival: Gadwell

A first for Carillon Stonegate Pond – the arrival of Gadwell! Where many male ducks sport gleaming patches of green, red, or blue, our Gadwall has an understated elegance, for which we can easily overlook this duck.

Identification:   Male Gadwalls are patterned with gray, brown, and black, with a distinctive black rump patch, while females are mottled brown with a gray and orange bill. Both sexes have white belly feathers and yellow feet. The Gadwell averages 20 inches in length. And their wingspan is approximately 33 inches. They weigh approximately 2 pounds.

Male Gadwall.

​Habitat at Carillon Stonegate Pond? First, any sighting will be rare. You may find Gadwall here periodically in early spring floating on our ponds.

​Flight patterns: Gadwalls are known for their strong and agile flight, allowing them to maneuver effectively.  They fly swiftly with rapid wingbeats.

Male (left) and Female (right) Gadwall.

​Behavior: Gadwalls are dabbling ducks that feed on submerged plants by tipping forward in the water. They rarely dive and often engage in complex displays for communication. They are known to steal food from diving ducks.

​Diet: Gadwalls are primarily vegetarians, consuming submerged aquatic vegetation and occasionally invertebrates, especially during the breeding season.

​Residence: Gadwell breed mainly in prairie potholes and other well-vegetated wetlands. During migration and winter, they are found in marshes, ponds, and lakes.

Male Gadwall - notice the black spot on rump.

​Breeding and Nesting: Gadwall are monogamous in their breeding behavior and form pairs during fall migration and nest in dense vegetation near water. The female constructs the nest, lays approximately 10 eggs, and incubates the eggs for 24-27 days. Fledglings leave nest shortly after hatching. Young Gadwell are capable of flight 2 months after hatching.

​Migration: Gadwell are migratory birds. Gadwalls migrate from the central plains of the United States and Canada to the central and southern United States and Mexico, usually flying at night.

Female Gadwall.

​Conservation status: Gadwall populations have increased due to conservation efforts, with an estimated 4.4 million individuals. They are the third most hunted duck species (after Mallard and Green-winged Teal). Partners in Flight rate them 8 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score, indicating a species of low conservation concern.

​Vocalizations: Male Gadwall make short, deep, reedy calls referred to as “burps,” given in steady succession while flying. They also make high whistles. Females quack like Mallards, but with a slightly higher pitch. Here is a link to the sounds of the Gadwall.

​Interesting Facts:

• Gadwall sometimes steal food from American Coots and from other ducks.

• Female Gadwall produce an egg a day while they are laying their 7–12-egg clutches.

• The oldest known Gadwall was over 19 years old.

For more information on Gadwall and sources of information used in this blog (these are the sources that I am using to learn as I blog), please visit All About Birds , Audubon Society, University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web, and the Illinois DNR.  And the Cornell Lab of Ornithology provides a wonderful source of information for anyone interested in learning more about birds.

​We all benefit from the variety of wetland, forest, and prairie environments that support diverse wildlife, plants, and insects of Carillon Stonegate Pond.

Take a hike and see what you can find – and identify!