Subject: Gadwall, Anas strepera

Location: Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado

Stock Number: 04-1612

Comments: I had been birding a couple of years before I saw my first Gadwall. Or rather, I had been birding a couple of years before I recognized my first Gadwall. I suspect I had seen these ducks before, but assumed they were the females of some species I knew well.

Gadwall drakes have the advantage of drab coloration, which helps them blend in well with their surroundings. The hens seem to forgive the males for their lack of colorful plumage.

No other duck has as wide a range as the Gadwall. The species is found in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Africa, and Eurasia.