Gadwall Duck

Description:

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. Females are patterned with brown and buff. Females have a thin orange edge to their dark bills. In flight, both sexes have a white wing patch that is sometimes visible while swimming or resting.

Habitat:

Not a great photo, but the white wing patches are visible as they left a pond at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/inde...