Gadwall Duck (male)

Description:

In a world where male ducks sport gleaming patches of green, red, or blue, the Gadwall’s understated elegance can make this common duck easy to overlook. Gadwall are about the same size as Mallards. Gadwall have a fairly large, square head with a steep forehead. The bill is noticeably thinner than a Mallard's. In flight, the neck is slightly thinner and the wings slightly more slender than a Mallard’s. Male Gadwall are gray-brown with a black patch at the tail.

Habitat:

Unicorn Lake - a man made retention area.

Notes:

Gadwall feed with other dabbling ducks, tipping forward to feed on submerged vegetation without diving. They sometimes steal food from flocks of diving ducks or coots. You'll often see these ducks in pairs through the winter, because they select their mates for the breeding season as early as late fall.