All birds/Anatidae/Gadwall
AI reconstruction of Gadwall (Mareca strepera)AI

AI reconstruction created with Nano Banana 2 · 1K, grounded in the profile’s documented taxonomy, habitat, natural-history sources, and an open-license visual reference when available. It is an interpretive image, not documentary evidence. Image policy

Gadwall (Mareca strepera)
Verified source photographWalter SiegmundCC-BY-SA · View source
PRB-0014Anseriformes

Gadwall

Pato Gris

Mareca strepera

Accidental / vagrantIUCN LC · Least Concern

The gadwall (Mareca strepera) is a common and widespread dabbling duck in the family Anatidae. == Taxonomy == The gadwall was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. DNA studies have shown that it is a sister species with the falcated duck; the two are closely related to the three species of wigeons, and all of them have been assigned to the genus Mareca. There are two subspecies: Mareca strepera strepera (formerly Anas strepera strepera), the common gadwall, described by Linnaeus, is the nominate subspecies. †M. s. couesi (formerly A. s. couesi), Coues's gadwall, extinct c. 1874, was formerly found only on Teraina, a coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The specific name strepera is Late Latin for "noisy". The etymology of the word gadwall is not known, but the name has been in use since 1666.

FamilyAnatidaeDucks, Geese, and Waterfowl
Puerto Rico occurrenceAccidental / vagrantAvibase inferred core 380
Primary habitatwetlandsWetland
Primary dietPlantHerbivore aquatic
Average mass857.5 gGlobal trait estimate
MovementMigratoryAquatic

Sound archive

Hear its voice

Explore real songs and calls. The spectrogram turns each sound into a visual trace of time and frequency.

XC1083708Recording 1 of 3call, flight call, nocturnal flight call
Spectrogram of Gadwall: call, flight call, nocturnal flight call
SpectrogramMareca strepera

Play: call, flight call, nocturnal flight call by Mark James Pearson

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Sound recorded by Mark James Pearson · XC1083708 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Visualization by Stichting Xeno-canto voor Natuurgeluiden.

Every recording retains the creator, catalogue number, and license published by Xeno-canto. Metadata via GBIF

Island profile

Catalog scopeAvibase inferred core 380

About the Gadwall

The gadwall (Mareca strepera) is a common and widespread dabbling duck in the family Anatidae. == Taxonomy == The gadwall was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. DNA studies have shown that it is a sister species with the falcated duck; the two are closely related to the three species of wigeons, and all of them have been assigned to the genus Mareca. There are two subspecies: Mareca strepera strepera (formerly Anas strepera strepera), the common gadwall, described by Linnaeus, is the nominate subspecies. †M. s. couesi (formerly A. s. couesi), Coues's gadwall, extinct c. 1874, was formerly found only on Teraina, a coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The specific name strepera is Late Latin for "noisy". The etymology of the word gadwall is not known, but the name has been in use since 1666.

Conservation

Least Concern

IUCN LC

Global IUCN
LC
Puerto Rico DNER
No current listing in source crosswalk
Federal ESA
No current listing in source crosswalk
Critical habitat
Not identified in source crosswalk

Natural history

How it lives

Habitat
wetlands
Elevation
0–2730 m
Nest
Scrape · Ground
Clutch
5–15 eggs
Social behavior
Pairs / family groups

Keep exploring

This bird belongs to 6 paths through the atlas.

Evidence trail

Sources, media & further reading