Gadwalls are something of an enigma in New Hampshire. They can be common in the salt marshes just south of the border at Plum Island, and even breed there, but remain an uncommon or rare visitor even along the coast. Most are encountered in spring, with lesser numbers in fall and the occasional winter record (usually along the coast). The male is subtly patterned in shades of gray, while the brown female can easily be confused with other female ducks. Both sexes, however, have a bold white wing patch that is easily seen in flight, and which separates them from all other NH ducks except the American Wigeon.
Relative abundance based on eBird data. Numbers indicate likelihood of finding this species in suitable habitat at a given time of year, not actual numbers encountered.
Information for the species profiles on this website was compiled from a combination of the sources listed below.
The Birds of New Hampshire. By Allan R. Keith and Robert B. Fox. 2013. Memoirs of the Nuttall Ornithological club No. 19.
Atlas of the Breeding Birds of New Hampshire. Carol R. Foss, ed. 1994. Arcadia Publishing Company and Audubon Society of New Hampshire
Birds of the World. Various authors and dates. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
Data from the Breeding Bird Survey
Data from the Christmas Bird Count
