Mallard

The Mallard is one of the most common and easily recognizable ducks. It is a dabbling duck, which means that this kind of duck feeds mainly at the water surface and doesn’t dive for food. It is scientifically known as Anas platyrhynchos. The Mallard duck is seen in mostly the sub tropical and the temperate regions of North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the New Zealand. This bird is a strongly migratory species and it is seen in the northern parts during its breeding range and it moves farther south during winters. The Mallard is thought to be one of the ancestors of the domestic ducks.

The Mallard is a dabbling duck and it feeds from the surface of the water body. It is seen to dabble for plant foods or it grazes the aquatic plants on the water surface, and also sometimes, small animals such as frogs. It is seen to inhabit most wetlands and is the most common duck in ponds, parks, small lakes and also rivers.

Both the males and the females of the species have their own respective characteristic features. However, both males and females are of the same size. They can be about 56 to 65 centimetres long, having a wingspan of about 81 to 98 centimetres, and can be about 0.9 to 1.2 kilograms in weight. The male is very easy to recognize and unmistakeable, as it has a green coloured head, black coloured rear end, and a black tipped beak or a bill that is yellowish orange in colour. The females are like any other dabbling ducks, with light brownish coloured plumage and dark brown coloured bill. However, the non breeding mallards are slightly different with regard to their plumage and the drakes appear drab and may be mistaken for the female but are recognizable due to their yellow coloured bills and reddish coloured breast feathers. These Mallards can be distinguished from the other types of birds by their distinctive speculum that is purple coloured and tipped with white. The speculum is a small patch of coloured plumage that is present on the inner regions of their wings and is hence visible when the birds are in flight or resting. This colourful speculum is however, shed temporarily by the birds during their summer molt that occurs annually. It is noted that the size of the birds may vary depending on their habitat. The birds that are found in Greenland are much larger in size than their counterparts in the southern regions but they have smaller sized bills. These birds are very noisy considering the males have a very nasal call. However, the females produce the normal “Quack” sound that is commonly associated with the ducks.

The mallards are known to build their nests on the banks of a river. Although it may be noted that the nests are not always found close to the water. The female mallard lays about 8 to 13 eggs and the young ones hatch after about 27 to 28 days. These birds tend to be of a highly gregarious nature after the breeding season is over and it is seen that they move in large flocks that are called as a Sord.