The Mallard Duck

The Mallard Duck is possibly the most populous duck on the planet, being widespread in North America and across Asia and Europe. It has also been introduced into many other countries, including as far away from its natural home as Australia. Interestingly, around 19% of Mallard Ducks form male-male pairings. It appears the attractive green head of the male in the breeding season attracts males as well as females!

It is the iridescent green head and white neck band that make the male Mallard instantly recognizable, but the bright colours are present only during the breeding season. He has a rusty brown chest and grey body with a characteristic purple-blue patch on the wings. After mating, the male loses his colourful feathers and also loses the ability to fly for a few weeks. The female is always a dull, mottled brown except for purple-blue patches on her wings.

The Mallard Duck lives near shallow waters such as wetlands, but it is also found on brackish and even salt water bodies. It frequents virtually anywhere there is water, even close to human habitations. In warm areas, the duck stays put throughout the year, but in colder northern areas where the lakes and ponds become covered in ice, it migrates south to warmer areas for the winter.

The Mallard Duck is classified as a dabbling duck rather than a diving duck. Dabbling ducks float on the water and dip their heads underneath, or upend themselves to look for food. The Mallard eats mostly plants, amphibians, frogs and fish, and they have a voracious appetite for mosquito larvae. They feed on land as well as on water, grazing on grass, seeds, grains, and other plant matter. In common with other dabbling ducks, the Mallard can walk and run well on land.

The Mallard pairs off in autumn but breeding does not take place until March or April when the coldest winter months are over. It is a monogamous species, but forced matings do occur, with several males pursuing and mating with a female, even though she has a mate. The nest is made on the ground or in a protected cavity near water and is lined with duck down.

The female lays about a dozen eggs and incubates them for about 25 days. The male does not help at all with the incubation, but he does help guard the nest. The female also raises the ducklings herself, taking them to the water as soon as they are dry, and stopping often to check that none have become entangled in the grass. If threatened by a predator, she pretends to be injured and squawks and flaps around on the ground as a distraction to allow the ducklings to escape. When they reach the water, she shows them where to find small insects and tiny plants to eat, but she never feeds them herself.

All domesticated ducks except the Muscovy Duck are descended from the Mallard Duck. Two other wild ducks, the Hawaiian and the Mexican, are both descended from the Mallard and are now different enough to be considered separate species.

The Mallard Duck is the most populous duck in North America, despite being a favourite target of duck hunters. Their major threats world wide are habitat loss, inter-breeding with other wild duck species, toxic chemicals in the water, drought, duck shooting, and draining of wetlands for human purposes. They are far from endangered, but also far from safe from being endangered in the future.