Gadwall pair on 9x12, 140 lb watercolor paper. The Gadwall (*Mareca strepera*) is a medium-sized dabbling duck found across North America, Europe, and Asia. The male is a study in subtle elegance — at a glance he may appear a plain grayish-brown, but up close his plumage reveals intricate vermiculated (finely wavy) patterns of gray and brown across his breast and flanks, a black rump and tail, and a chestnut-and-black patch on his wing, known as the speculum, which is bordered in white and flashes brilliantly in flight. His bill is dark gray and his legs are a dull yellow-orange. The female, by contrast, is mottled brown overall, resembling a female Mallard, though she can be distinguished by her orange-sided dark bill and that same white speculum. Gadwalls tend to be quieter and more reserved than other dabbling ducks, favoring freshwater marshes, lakes, and ponds with dense emergent vegetation. They are unique among dabblers for frequently stealing food from diving ducks, a behavior known as kleptoparasitism. Despite their understated appearance, they are considered one of the more refined and graceful members of the duck family.
