Mallard drake

Did you know?

Adaptable - and noisy - mallards are often found in city parks and waterfronts, as well as in the wild.

Mallard drakeMallard hen with broodMallard drake
 

Mallard: The duck you know

Anas platyrynchos

These birds are the most abundant and widely distributed waterfowl species in North America.

Appearance

  • Large dabbling duck weighing up to 1.3 kg
  • In breeding plumage, drake (also known as a ‘greenhead’) is easily identified by bright green head, olive yellow bill, brown chest and blue wing patches.
  • Hen is a mottled brown colour overall, with blue wing patches, orange and black bill and orange feet.
  • Both have distinctive white underwings with blue speculum markings in their rear edges.

Habitat: Lakes, ponds, rivers, potholes, woodland pools and surrounding uplands

Range: Mallard range mapBreeds throughout majority of Canada and U.S. (Canadian breeding range expanding in east and north due to natural expansion and introduction by humans). Winters in U.S., northern Mexico and southern Canada (as long as open water and food are available). Most widely distributed dabbler in the world— also breeds in Europe and Asia. Most abundant North American duck.

Diet: wetland vegetation, seeds, mollusks, crustaceans, insects and larvae.

 

Breeding

  • One of the first ducks to return to breeding grounds in spring; arrive in breeding pairs as soon as open water is available.
  • Hen lays one egg a day for a full nest of 8-12 eggs often near the site where she herself hatched.
  • Hens will re-nest up to four times if a nest is destroyed or abandoned
  • Hen incubates eggs for an average of 28 days and leads brood to wetland within 24 hours of hatching—stays with brood until they are able to fly at about 8 weeks of age.

Conservation Status, Habitat and Food Requirements

  • Fairly stable population, primary threat is the loss of wetlands and associated habitats.
  • The habitat used varies greatly throughout the breeding range.
  • Opportunistic feeder – feeds primarily on invertebrates in breeding season, plants and seeds in the winter and agricultural foods during migration and winter

Unique Facts

  • With the exception of the muscovy duck, mallards are the predecessors of all domestic ducks; they have been domesticated in Southeast Asia for over 2000 years and in Europe since at least the 12th century
  • Mallards interbreed with black ducks, northern pintails, gadwall, cinnamon teal and green-winged teal; scientists believe that interbreeding between black ducks and mallards may be a cause for concern for the black duck population
  • Highly adaptive to varied environments and human activity, nesting in urban settings including backyards – their wide range and abundance attributed to adaptability
 
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