Gadwalls at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge

I have to learn birds one group at a time. I've been pretty slow at getting around to the ducks because I don't see all that many in my bird travels. So I still have to take the picture and then look it up, although the Gadwall (Anas strepera) has appeared on these pages before. They aren't flashy like the Mallards and the Cinnamon Teals, but I find the intricate pattern of the feathers on their breast to be fascinating. Any duck hunter knows of them; they're the third most hunted of the ducks.

We had made a stop last week at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge near Williams in California's Great Valley, and the ducks were kind of center stage (the Snow Geese were in another part of the refuge). We also saw a great many Cinnamon Teals (see this post from last week), Green-winged Teals, and Northern Pintails (more posts to come). The 6 mile long auto tour is one of our favorites (along with the one at the Merced NWR).

Gadwalls at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge

I've no real excuse for it, but I've been slower about learning my duck species than I have with other groups of birds during my continuing education about the bird world. It's possibly because I don't have a lot of them hanging out at my two work sites, or because I'm often distracted by other "glamorous" birds like cranes, geese, and herons. But I am starting to notice that there are ducks that aren't Mallards out there. Our recent visit at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge offered a few nice photographic angles on some Gadwalls (Anas strepera).

Some describe the Gadwalls as being not all that colorful, but to me the intricate complex pattern of their feathers is far more interesting than a flash of bright color. From a distance they may be gray or brown looking, but up close, their feathers form a fascinating maze.

If I were a duck hunter, of course I would know the Gadwalls right away. They are one of the most popular targets after Mallards and Green-winged Teals. Still, their numbers are rising as humans restore some of the wetlands that have been destroyed over the years.

The females Gadwalls are very similar to female Mallards, but this one was staying close to the male, so I won't stress myself over a precise identification.