Gadwall

1/1600s at f8.0 ISO:800, Canon Mark III 1Ds w/800mm, 1.4x converter


The Gadwall breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia, North America and Canada. The Gadwall is a bird of open wetlands, such as prairie or steppe lakes, wet grassland or marshes with dense fringing vegetation, and usually feeds by dabbling for plant food with head submerged. It nests on the ground, often some distance from water. It is not as gregarious as some dabbling ducks outside the breeding season and tends to form only small flocks. The young birds are fed insects at first; adults also eat some molluscs and insects during the nesting season. It winters as far south as Central America.
Boulder County, CO
 
03/03/2011