﻿GADWALL. 
  

  

  27 
  

  

  [Anas 
  aberti 
  Ridgw. 
  Abert 
  Duck. 
  

   A 
  species 
  known 
  only 
  from 
  the 
  type 
  specimen 
  taken 
  at 
  Mazatlan, 
  Mexico.] 
  

  

  Chaulelasmus 
  streperus 
  (Linn.). 
  Gadwall. 
  

  

  Breeding 
  range.— 
  A 
  large 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  American 
  individ- 
  

   uals 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  breed 
  in 
  the 
  prairie 
  district 
  extending 
  from 
  Mani- 
  

   toba 
  to 
  the 
  Rocky 
  Mountains, 
  south 
  to 
  western 
  Minnesota, 
  and 
  from 
  

   northern 
  South 
  Dakota 
  north 
  to 
  the 
  Saskatchewan. 
  

  

  The 
  species 
  breeds 
  commonly 
  from 
  the 
  Rocky 
  Mountains 
  to 
  the 
  

   Pacific, 
  south 
  to 
  southern 
  Colorado, 
  Utah, 
  Nevada, 
  and 
  in 
  nearly 
  the 
  

   whole 
  of 
  California; 
  also 
  probably 
  in 
  the 
  Mogollon 
  Mountains 
  of 
  

   Arizona. 
  The 
  northern 
  range 
  extends 
  to 
  southern 
  British 
  Columbia, 
  

   Alberta 
  (rarely 
  or 
  casually 
  to 
  Lesser 
  Slave 
  Lake), 
  and 
  to 
  Fort 
  Churchill 
  

   on 
  Hudson 
  Bay. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  authentic 
  record 
  for 
  the 
  Mackenzie 
  

   Valley, 
  and 
  if 
  the 
  specimen 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  Museum 
  labeled 
  "Bering 
  

   Straits" 
  really 
  was 
  captured 
  there 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  wanderer, 
  as 
  was 
  also 
  one 
  

   taken 
  at 
  Unalaska, 
  March 
  18, 
  1879. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  Valley 
  the 
  gadwall 
  occasionally 
  breeds 
  in 
  northern 
  

   Nebraska 
  and 
  rarely 
  in 
  Kansas. 
  Formerly 
  it 
  bred 
  in 
  Wisconsin 
  (Hori- 
  

   con 
  Marsh 
  and 
  Lake 
  Koshkonong), 
  there 
  is 
  one 
  record 
  for 
  Ontario 
  

   (St. 
  Clair 
  Flats), 
  and 
  one 
  for 
  Anticosti 
  Island. 
  It 
  is 
  only 
  a 
  straggler 
  

   to 
  New 
  England 
  and 
  the 
  Maritime 
  Provinces 
  north 
  to 
  Quebec 
  and 
  

   Newfoundland, 
  and 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  is 
  rare 
  north 
  of 
  North 
  

   Carolina. 
  

  

  The 
  gadwall 
  is 
  a 
  common 
  breeder 
  in 
  Europe 
  and 
  Asia, 
  ranging 
  south 
  

   in 
  winter 
  far 
  into 
  Africa 
  and 
  to 
  southern 
  Asia. 
  

  

  Winter 
  range. 
  — 
  The 
  principal 
  winter 
  home 
  of 
  the 
  gadwall 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  

   lower 
  Mississippi 
  Valley, 
  especially 
  Texas, 
  Louisiana, 
  and 
  Arkansas. 
  

   It 
  rarely 
  winters 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  Illinois, 
  but 
  is 
  more 
  common 
  to 
  the 
  

   eastward 
  in 
  North 
  Carolina 
  and 
  Florida; 
  accidental 
  in 
  Cuba 
  (twice), 
  

   Janlaica, 
  and 
  the 
  Bermudas. 
  The 
  winter 
  range 
  extends 
  to 
  the 
  south- 
  

   ern 
  end 
  of 
  Lower 
  California, 
  to 
  Mazatlan, 
  and 
  the 
  City 
  of 
  Mexico. 
  In 
  

   northern 
  Mexico 
  the 
  species 
  is 
  common 
  through 
  the 
  winter, 
  and 
  birds 
  

   have 
  been 
  found 
  paired 
  in 
  May, 
  the 
  late 
  date 
  indicating 
  that 
  they 
  

   intended 
  to 
  remain 
  and 
  breed. 
  Thence 
  it 
  extends 
  commonly 
  to 
  Utah 
  

   and 
  Oregon, 
  rarely 
  to 
  Washington 
  and 
  British 
  Columbia. 
  

  

  Spring 
  migration. 
  — 
  Only 
  a 
  few 
  notes 
  on 
  the 
  migration 
  of 
  this 
  

   species 
  have 
  been 
  recorded. 
  The 
  average 
  date 
  when 
  the 
  first 
  spring 
  

   migrants 
  reach 
  southern 
  Iowa 
  is 
  March 
  18 
  (earliest 
  March 
  10, 
  1896), 
  

   it 
  thus 
  being 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  earlier 
  ducks 
  in 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  its 
  range. 
  It 
  

   reached 
  Heron 
  Lake, 
  Minn., 
  April 
  1 
  (earliest 
  March 
  17, 
  1886); 
  Love- 
  

   land, 
  Colo., 
  March 
  6, 
  and 
  Terry, 
  Mont., 
  about 
  April 
  1. 
  The 
  first 
  

   migrant 
  was 
  seen 
  at 
  Aweme, 
  Manitoba, 
  April 
  23, 
  1898, 
  and 
  at 
  Indian 
  

   Head, 
  Saskatchewan, 
  April 
  18, 
  1892, 
  and 
  April 
  24, 
  1904. 
  Eggs 
  have 
  been 
  

   secured 
  at 
  St. 
  Clair 
  Flats, 
  Ontario, 
  about 
  May 
  30; 
  in 
  western 
  Minne- 
  

  

  