This species is a migratory waterfowl. It is a bird of open wetland areas, having first been found in the park in the Abrams Creek drainage. It only, in recent years, has expanded its range to the Eastern U.S. from the West.

Physical Description:
The Gadwall is about the size of a mallard (18 to 22 inches long with a 33 inch wingspan), but, unlike the very common mallard, it has a squarish - shaped head. The male coloration is unlike the male mallard, but the female bears a resemblance to the female mallard.
The most striking feature of the male (drake) is the black rump contrasting with a gray body.

The Gadwall is a ground nester. Young birds start out eating insects, and then graduate into eating aquatic plants with head fully submerged.

Park Information:
The Gadwall was not documented in the park until two drakes and a duck were sited in Cades Cove on October 30, 2009 (WBielenberg). This species is a common migrant and regular winter resident in area ponds and shallow lakes, but is expected to be found in the park only rarely, due to the very limited habitat for this species.

References:

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds website at http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gadwall/id