Greenheads are (truly) forever

1. Going for the green (and blue, and orange, and yellow): Plumage

In breeding plumage, mallard drakes (also known as “greenheads”) are easily identified by a bright green head, white band on the neck, olive yellow bill, brown chest and blue wing patches (also called the speculum). Hens are mottled brown overall, with a similar iridescent blue speculum, orange bills with black spots and orange feet.

2. Dabbling for dinner: Food and habitat

Mallards are a large dabbling duck species. Mallards can be found in lakes, ponds, rivers, potholes, woodland pools and surrounding uplands. As dabblers, they tip at the water’s surface to dabble for wetland vegetation, seeds, mollusks, crustaceans, insects and larvae. Bottom’s up!

3. Early arrivals: Breeding and nesting

One of the first ducks to return to their breeding grounds in spring, mallards arrive in breeding pairs as soon as open water is available. The hen will lay one egg a day for a full nest of eight to 13 eggs, and will re-nest up to six times if a nest is destroyed or abandoned. Hens incubate eggs for an average of 28 days and lead their broods to wetlands within 24 hours of hatching — staying with their brood until they can fly at about eight weeks of age.

Mallards breed throughout most of Canada and the United States (their Canadian breeding range is expanding in the east and north due to natural expansion and introduction by humans). Females tend to nest where they were born, sometimes returning to the exact same place year after year — called philopatry —usually within one kilometre of a wetland.

4. Well-known frequent fliers: Distribution

The mallard is the most familiar duck to most North Americans — from seasoned waterfowlers to families strolling at a local urban park. The most abundant duck on the continent, mallards winter in the United States, northern Mexico and southern Canada (if open water and food are available). This most widely distributed dabbler in the world also breeds in Europe and Asia.

More mallard facts

• Common name: Mallard
• Scientific name: Anas platyrhynchos
• Diet: Omnivorous
• Average lifespan: 5-10 years
• Length: 50-65 centimetres
• Weight: 720-1,600 grams

Apart from the Muscovy duck, mallards are the predecessors of all domestic ducks; they have been domesticated in Southeast Asia for more than 2,000 years and in Europe since at least the 12th century.

Mallards can hybridize with black ducks, northern pintails, gadwall, cinnamon teal and green-winged teal; hybridization between black ducks and mallards may be a cause for concern for the black duck population.

Mallards are highly adaptive to varied environments and human activity. Nesting takes place in urban settings, including backyards. Their wide range and abundance are attributed to this adaptability.

The mallard can leave the water with a nearly vertical take-off, by smacking its wings on the surface and pushing down with its tail feathers.

Mallards in science

Not only are they the most widespread ducks in North America, but mallards are one of the most studied ducks in the world, used in many experiments both in captivity and in the wild, including practices that aim to enhance their conservation. According to Bruce Batt in his 2009 article, “Most of what we do for the conservation of all ducks is based on what we understand about the mallard.”

Mallards continue to be a major focus of current research undertaken by Ducks Unlimited scientists, including graduate students Cassidy Waldrep and Kelsie Huss, led by Mitch Weegman, Endowed Chair in Wetland and Waterfowl Conservation at the University of Saskatchewan.

Both Waldrep and Huss are studying the migration ecology and demographics of mallards by deploying GPS-acceleration transmitters on mallard hens in the U.S. and Canada to quantify and compare reproductive metrics, estimate their seasonal survival rates, quantify and compare movements, habitat use, and selection throughout the annual cycle. Their research will fill important gaps in our understanding of mallard population ecology and provide additional insights into potential causes of population declines in some regions.

Stay tuned for more insights from Waldrep’s transmitter research and the role waterfowlers can play in her study in the fall 2025 issue of Conservator.

So close! Peregrine falcon in hot pursuit but misses the mark for two years running

This year, the peregrine falcon once again landed in second place. Its high standing in DUC’s Marsh Madness rankings reflects the admirable qualities that people appreciate about this fastest animal on the planet. This migratory bird of prey nests and breeds near wetlands as their preferred prey reside there. In fact, an old name for the North American peregrine falcon was “duck hawk” because ducks and shorebirds often end up on their dinner menu. Watch out next year, mallards!

Why we love the mallard: The duck behind our logo

Bruce Batt, who also authored DUC’s 75th anniversary book, The Marsh Keepers Journey: The Story of Ducks Unlimited Canada, noted that: “The Ducks Unlimited duck head is one of the most recognizable corporate symbols in wildlife conservation. The stylized green outline of a mallard’s head is distinct and is recognized by people worldwide. It was originally adopted by DUC in 1970 — and by the late 1980s, it had also become the symbol of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. in the U.S. and Ducks Unlimited de México, followed later by Ducks Unlimited entities in New Zealand and Australia.”

Ernie Wilson, a commercial artist from Winnipeg, is credited with developing the logo, which has been replicated many millions of times to brand Ducks Unlimited products. The duck head has appeared on everything from letterhead and business cards to lapel pins and flags, t-shirts, signs and other merchandise found at DUC fundraising events.