Gadwall (Mareca strepera)Where and when to see it in the UK
Resident · reporting peaks January to May · Ducks, Swans, and Geese · BOU category AC2E*F
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Gadwall has been recorded in 1,396 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (47%) in records to 2026. Resident in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in January to May.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 38% or more of visits
- High
- 16% to 38%
- Moderate
- 5% to 16%
- Low
- under 5%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 87% | 17% | High |
| February | 86% | 17% | Very high |
| March | 92% | 18% | Very high |
| April | 100% | 20% | Very high |
| May | 89% | 18% | Very high |
| June | 57% | 11% | Low |
| July | 47% | 9% | Low |
| August | 71% | 14% | Low |
| September | 79% | 16% | Very high |
| October | 75% | 15% | High |
| November | 84% | 17% | High |
| December | 83% | 17% | High |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in January
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C41 | Derry City and Strabane, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H14 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J38 | Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J49 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J57 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| NB43 | Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NH78 | Highland, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NJ70 | Aberdeenshire, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NK06 | Aberdeenshire, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NS32 | South Ayrshire, Scotland | 100% | Very high |