gadwall (Anas strepera)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

 

IDENTIFICATION

• Length: 14.5 inches Wingspan: 35 inches

• Large dabbling duck with steep forehead

• White speculum

• Juvenile similar to adult female

Adult male alternate:

• Alternate plumage worn from fall through early summer

• Black bill

• Brown head

• Gray body

• Gray and brown breast, back and upperwing coverts

• Black rump, uppertail coverts and undertail coverts

• White belly

Adult male basic:

• Similar to adult female

Adult female:

• Gray bill with orange edges

• Mottled gray, brown and white body plumage

• Distinct white belly patch

Adult male in alternate plumage is unmistakable. All plumages easily
identified in flight and occasionally at rest by white speculum. Females
and mmature at rest can be identified by their steeper head profile than
similarly-plumaged mallards, by the gray bill with orange edges, and by
the distinct white belly patch.

 

LIFE HISTORY

Migration Status:N/A
Breeding Habitat:Wetland-open water
Nest Location:N/A
Nest Type:N/A
Clutch Size:7-13
Length of Incubation: 24-27 days
Days to Fledge:48-56+
Number of Broods:1
Diet: Almost exclusively plant matter; lesser quantities of aquatic
invertebrates
 

SKY MEADOWS DISTRIBUTION/SEASONAL OCCURRENCE

 

Relative abundance and seasonal occurrence are indicated in red below.

 

Relative abundance
     C - Common: Likely to be present in good numbers in appropriate habitat and season.
     U - Uncommon: May be present in appropriate habitat and season, often in low
            numbers.
     O - Occassional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times per season,
            sometimes low numbers.
     R - Rare: May not be recorded every year.
     Acc - Accidental: Recorded once or twice, may not be expected again for a long time.

 

Seasonal Occurrence
      Sp - Spring: March, April, May
      Su - Summer: June, July, August
      Fall: September, October, November

      Winter: December, January, February Acc

 

 

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