Male gadwall duck in Alaska

Although not uncommon in southern British Columbia where I live, I have never actually photographed one before.  The females look somewhat akin to female mallards and the males have a rather drab appearance.  It is entirely possible that I have seen them but never took notice.

Gadwall eat aquatic vegetation and any invertebrates that happen to be in the mix.  Females will target invertebrates when laying a clutch of eggs for the protein they harbour.  What's interesting about their egg-laying habits is that they lay one egg a day, in sequence, for up to a rather large clutch of up to a dozen eggs.  Likewise, the young hatch in the same order, which makes parenting duties a little easier.  The heavily vegetated ponds and water bodies they nest around give ample cover and food for the developing offspring.  The young leave the nest within a couple of days. 

What's interesting about a bonded pair (male& female) is that they are "seasonally monogamous".  couple engage in fairly elaborate displays with the male holding the lion's share of the mating behaviours.  They match up in the fall and remain together until the following summer when the young have been fully fledged.  After that, they seem to go their separate ways to find another mate for the following year.

Another interesting fact about the gadwall is that they occasionally steal food from other ducks.  Prime targets are American coots, as they readily dive deeper into waters to obtain vegetation; the gadwall are dabblers only and so can obtain food near the surface.  I have seen coots dive for water plants and come up with a significant packet.  They take their time eating the fodder, and longer if chicks are with them.  They would make easy pickings for a hungry gadwall.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com