Gadwall
Mareca strepera
Live from the dock
Active 141 minutes across 34 days since September 2026. Last heard today.
Heard todayHear the call
When you'll hear it
Most often heard around midday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Quiet overnight.
Minutes active by hour, as a table
| 12 AM | 1 AM | 2 AM | 3 AM | 4 AM | 5 AM | 6 AM | 7 AM | 8 AM | 9 AM | 10 AM | 11 AM | NOON | 1 PM | 2 PM | 3 PM | 4 PM | 5 PM | 6 PM | 7 PM | 8 PM | 9 PM | 10 PM | 11 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes active | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 16 | 11 | 28 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Across the year
Present from late-September through November. First heard this year on September 21.
Dock records
- First heard
- September 21, 2026
- Busiest day
- 17 minutes on November 8, 2026
- Earliest call
- 5:56 a.m.
- Days detected
- 34 of 183 days monitored
What our dock mics have heard
Some days yes, most days no. The Gadwall is on 34 of 183 days in the recordings (19%), with 141 minutes active, #56 of 107.
The busiest month was October, with 66 minutes active. Nothing at all in May, June, July and August. The record day is November 8, 2026 with 17 minutes active. Keep in mind the mics only went live on May 2, 2026, so we don't have December through April yet.
| Month | Days heard | Minutes active |
|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | 0 of 20 | 0 |
| June 2026 | 0 of 30 | 0 |
| July 2026 | 0 of 31 | 0 |
| August 2026 | 0 of 31 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 5 of 30 | 15 |
| October 2026 | 22 of 31 | 66 |
| November 2026 | 7 of 10 | 60 |
It doesn't lean early or late. Its top hour is 1 p.m., 20% of the total. The earliest call on record is 5:56 a.m.
It's been around more lately, 22 of the last 30 days, up from 8% of days before that.
Heard alongside
Out of the 99 hours we've had the Gadwall on the mics, these birds turned up in the same hours the most. We pick them by how much their hours overlap.
- Northern Flicker: calling in 67 of those 99 hours.
- Golden-crowned Kinglet: calling in 49 of those 99 hours.
- White-throated Sparrow: calling in 42 of those 99 hours.
- Yellow-rumped Warbler: calling in 38 of those 99 hours.
- Common Starling: calling in 30 of those 99 hours.
Common questions
What time of day do you hear a Gadwall at Watts Bar Lake?
Most often heard around midday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Quiet overnight. These are the hours the dock microphones detect the Gadwall most often.
What time of year is the Gadwall at Watts Bar Lake?
Present from late-September through November. First heard this year on September 21. That window is when the Gadwall has been audible from the Watts Bar Lake dock.
Has the Gadwall been heard at Watts Bar Lake?
Yes. Active 141 minutes across 34 days since September 2026. Last heard today.
About the bird
The gadwall is a common and widespread dabbling duck in the family Anatidae.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 Read more on Wikipedia →
