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Gadwall
Anas strepera
Family: ANATIDAE
Order: Anseriformes
Spanish Common Name: Pato ruidoso, Anade riente
French Common Name: Canard chapeau
(c) Glen Smart, USFWS |
Courtesy of Kenn Kaufman |
Annual Population Indices |
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Conservation Status
Global Population: 5,102,500
Continental Population: 3,900,000
Watchlist Status: 
Audubon State of the Birds Status: no current conservation concerns
The Gadwall is a common dabbling duck found across the northern hemisphere. Unlike many other North American ducks, its numbers have not only remained stable, but have actually increased significantly over the past several decades, due in part to effective land management.
Range & Distribution
In North America, the Gadwall breeds mainly in the “prairie pothole” region—the grassy wetland at the heart of the Great Plains and Canadian Prairie Provinces. Away from the Great Plains, they breed north as far as Alaska and west to California, south into Texas, east into the Great Lakes region, and locally as far away as coastal New England. Globally, they breed across central Europe into Asia, and winter across Asia and northern Africa. The Gadwall may have the widest global range of any duck species.
A legend for the range map to the right can be found here.
Population Status & Trends
The Gadwall has fared well in North America over recent decades, expanding both its numbers and range significantly. In the 1980s and 1990s, Gadwall populations increased dramatically at the heart of the breeding range, due mainly to improved wetland conditions and favorable land management decisions.
An explanation of the Annual Population Indices graph displayed to the right can be found here.
Conservation Issues & Efforts
The Gadwall benefited greatly from two separate land conservation initiatives in the mid 1980s. The Conservation Reserve Program of 1985 procured over 2 million hectares of land in the prairie pothole region, transforming much of it to habitat favorable for nesting Gadwall. From 1985 to 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Waterfowl Habitat Acquisition Plan produced similar results. These land management decisions bolstered Gadwall numbers to record highs, despite their status as a very popular game bird. The Gadwall would further benefit from restoration of the coastal wetlands on their wintering grounds along the Gulf of Mexico.
What You Can Do
Remain aware of local, regional, and federal land management decisions, particularly those that impact our wetlands.
Contact your legislators in support of wise land management initiatives, such as wetland restoration along the Gulf, and implementation of The North American Waterfowl Management Plan.
For actions you can take, including Audubon activities, please visit our resources page.
For More Information
References
LeSchack, C. R., S. K. McKnight, and G. R. Hepp. 1997. Gadwall (Anas strepera). In The Birds of North America, No. 283 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and the American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. <
Kaufman, Kenn. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, 1996
Kortright, Francis H. The Ducks, Geese and Swans of North America. The American Wildlife Institute, Washington D.C., 1943.
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