Gadwall

A subtly patterned duck with finely textured grey male plumage.

A recording has not been added yet. Use the identification notes below for now.

I know this bird · Record a sighting Where to look & how to find it ↓

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Locally distributed

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: Local year-round occurrence with additional winter visitors
Where to start: Public lakeside viewpoints and wetland reserves overlooking open water.
What to do when you arrive: In autumn and winter, inspect plain grey-brown ducks from public lakeside viewpoints, looking for the white wing patch. Do not assume every brown duck is a Mallard.

Habitat and behaviour reference: BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

No sufficiently evidenced, suitable public destination is included yet, so no speculative marker is shown. Start with habitat and season; an absent marker does not imply an absent species.

SPECIES NOTESSpecies notes

How to identify it

Males are finely patterned grey-brown with a black rear and white speculum. Females resemble female Mallard but have orange bill edges and a white, not blue, speculum, sometimes hidden at rest.

Habitat

Freshwater lakes, ponds, slow rivers and some sheltered bays.

Behaviour

Feeds mainly on aquatic vegetation by dabbling and upending.

When to look

Local year-round occurrence with additional winter visitors

Where to look

Public lakeside viewpoints and wetland reserves overlooking open water.

Reference photos do not show every sex, age, season or geographic form; use the identification notes too.

Further reading:BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · Wikipedia ↗

COMMUNITY SIGHTINGS

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