Dabbling duck · Duck ID

Gadwall

Mareca strepera · A plain gray duck with a black rear end and a white wing patch in flight.

Drake. Photo: Mdf · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Length: 18–22 in
Weight: 1.1–2.2 lb
Wingspan: 33 in
Group: Dabbling duck

Typical adult size. Drakes run larger than hens.

Field marks

How to identify a gadwall

Drake

Finely patterned gray body, brownish head, and a jet-black rear end. Black bill.

Hen

Mottled brown like a hen mallard but smaller, with a steeper forehead and an orange bill with dark edges on top. White belly.

In flight

Look for the small, square white patch at the back of the inner wing on both sexes. Pointed wings, white belly.

Look-alikes

Mallard: Hen mallards are bigger, with a blue speculum and a mostly orange bill with a dark saddle.
American wigeon: Wigeon show a big white patch on the front of the wing, not the back.

Photos

Gadwall gallery

Gadwall: Hen — **Hen**Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK · CC BY 2.0 · source

Gadwall: In flight — **In flight**Prasan Shrestha · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Gadwall: Gadwall on a refuge pond — **Gadwall on a refuge pond**USFWS Mountain Prairie · Public domain · source

Hear it

Gadwall call

Recording: Joost van Bruggen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · original recording

2026-27 bag limits

Gadwall limits in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas

State	Gadwall daily limit	Possession	Total daily ducks	Source
MississippiNov 27–29; Dec 4–6; Dec 9, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	Counts toward the 6-duck daily total, no separate limit	3 times the daily limit Not confirmed Opening-day possession wording in the Digest (check the official source)	6 ducks a day	MDWFP Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits · checked Oct 22, 2026 Mississippi rules
TennesseeNov 28–29; Dec 5, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	Counts toward the 6-duck daily total, no separate limit	3 times the daily limit, except 1 times on opening day and 2 times on the second day	6 ducks a day	TWRA Waterfowl and Migratory Birds · checked Oct 22, 2026 Tennessee rules
ArkansasNov 21–29; Dec 10–23; Dec 26, 2026–Jan 31, 2027	Counts toward the 6-duck daily total, no separate limit	3 times the daily limit	6 ducks a day	AGFC Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules and Regulations · checked Oct 22, 2026 Arkansas rules

Regular-season limits from each state’s official 2026-27 regulations. Possession limits count birds at home too. Federal rules apply on top of state rules, and some WMAs and refuges set stricter limits. Louisiana limits are on the Louisiana rules page.

Mid-South