DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS: GAD WALL 
115 
from early in fall to the middle of November, sometimes as common as the ordinary 
Mallard. Specimens were taken by Mr. Huber at Mesilla Dam, April 12, 1915; 
and along the Rio Grande near Las Cruces, May 7, 1915; also by Leopold, at Belen, 
December 7, 1917. 
Additional Literature.—Bent, A. C., U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 126, 48-50, 1923. 
GADWALL: Chaulel&smus streperus (Linnaeus) 
Description. — Male : Length 19.2-21.7 inches, wing 10.2-11, bill 1.6-1.7, 
tarsus 1.4-1.7. Female: Length about 18 inches, wing 10-10.2, bill 1.5-1.6, 
tarsus 1.6. Weight: About 1% lbs. (Leopold), Adult male in winter and breeding 
plumage: Head and neck pale brown usually finely speckled with black, darkest on 
top of head; throat brownish gray, minutely flecked with dusky; back and sides with 
wavy transverse bars or vermiculation of blackish brown and white; feathers of 
breast with scaled effect; wing patches white and reddish brown with black band; 
scapulars broadly edged with yellowish brown; axillars and wing linings white; 
upper arid under tail coverts black; tail brownish; iris brown, bill dusky, legs and feet 
orange . Adult male in post nuptial eclipse. Top of head brownish black, back, rump, 
and upper tail coverts without vermiculation, feather markings mainly coarse, 
blackish brown, margined with rusty, with long light streakings on back; wings and 
tail normal; breast dull rusty, feathers with central black crescent; belly dull white, 
feathers with central brown spots. Adult female and young: Brown, streaked, and 
spotted, wing patch white and markings similar to those of male but restricted; chin 
and belly white, belly spotted in summer; legs and feet pale yellow. 
Comparisons. —The females of Gadwall, Baldpate, and Pintail may easily be 
confused when on the wing, but the Pintail has a long neck, the Baldpate shows con¬ 
spicuous white patches on the fore part instead of rear edge of wing, and the Gadwall 
is darker on back and rump, and has a white speculum and belly. (See pp. 116, 118.) 
Range. Mainly Northern Hemisphere. In America breeds from southern 
British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba south to Iowa, Louisiana, Texas, 
New Mexico, and southern California; winters from southern British Columbia 
(rarely), Washington, Utah, northeastern Colorado, Arkansas, eastward to Mary¬ 
land and south to Florida, central Mexico, and southern Lower California. 
State Records. —Though the Gadwall is known to nest in the San Luis Valley, 
Colorado, and elsewhere near the Colorado-New Mexico line, the only certain record 
of its nesting in New Mexico is at Lake Burford where it was breeding quite com¬ 
monly during 1913; on August 10 of that year the young were about two-thirds grown 
(Ligon). [In July, 1916, they were breeding freely at Lake Burford, many young 
being observed (Ligon), and in June, 1918, about 60 pairs were breeding (Wetmore). 
On the Rio Grande Auto and Gun Club Lake, 6 miles southwest of Albuquerque, 
they were seen on June 16, 1919 (Ligon). They are seen on the mountain lakes in 
Colfax County (Charles Springer, 1925).] Tw t o old birds taken near Lake Burford 
at Horse Lake, September 23, 1904, w T ere only just beginning their fall molt (Bailey). 
The Gadw r all enters New Mexico in August as a common migrant, in favorable 
localities up to 7,500 feet, at Beaver Lake (Bailey), and to 8,800 feet on the top of the 
Chuska Mountains (Birdseye). At these higher altitudes the approach of winter 
compels it to leave early in October, but it is still common a thousand feet lower 
until the latter part of the month—Datil, October J.5, 1905 (Hollister); near Koehler 
Junction a large flock October 20-24, 1913 (Kalmbach); [Rio Grande near Albuquer¬ 
que, sometimes a few r in the middle of October (Leopold, 1919)]; San Rafael, October 
26-31, 1908, wdiere seen sitting on the ice around small open places on cold mornings 
(Bailey)—and along the low T er Rio Grande, w r here they remain all winter (Henry). 
