- gadwall
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a grayish-brown wild duck, Anas strepera, found in temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere.[1660-70; orig. uncert.]
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Small dabbling duck (Anas strepera) that is a popular game bird, found throughout the upper Northern Hemisphere.Its largest breeding populations in North America are in the Dakotas and in Canada's prairie provinces. The gadwall is brownish gray with white patches, visible only during flight, on the rear of the wings. Its preferred diet is stems and leaves of aquatic plants, supplemented by seeds and algae. Gadwalls often live in shallow freshwater ponds and marshes, often in mixed flocks with wigeons. Unlike wigeons, they rarely feed on land.* * *
▪ bird(Anas strepera), small, drably coloured duck of the family Anatidae, a popular game bird. Almost circumpolar in distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, the gadwall breeds above latitude 40° and winters between 20–40°. In North America the densest breeding populations occur in the Dakotas and the prairie provinces of Canada; the coast of Louisiana is a primary wintering area. These brownish gray birds have white patches, visible only during flight, on the rear of the wings. Breeding males are gray with a brown head and neck and black posteriors; the females are a uniform mottled brown. Their preferred diet consists of stems and leaves of aquatic plants, supplemented by seeds and algae. Gadwalls frequent shallow freshwater ponds and marshes, often in mixed flocks with wigeons. Unlike wigeons, however, they rarely feed on land. The nest is hidden in thicker vegetation than is usual for species of the dabbling duck (q.v.) group.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
