The Mallard Duck
The water feels so good!
Description
The Mallard is a medium size duck measuring 18 to 27 inches in length. During the breeding season the male has a green head, white neck ring, chestnut colored breast, and a gray body. The inner feathers on the wing are a metallic bluish-purple bordered with white. Its bill is yellow with a black tip. The female is a mottled brown with a white tail. Like the male, the feathers on its inner wing are a bluish-purple. The female has a mottled orange and brown bill rather than the distinctive yellow.During the non-breeding season, the male's plumage is similar to the females, but it maintains its distinctive yellow bill and chestnut colored breast.
The Newest Generation
Mallards are known as puddle or dabbling ducks, which means they search for food on or near the water's surface. They dabble by tipping up with their head under water, and their tail wagging in the wind.
Mallards
Lake with boat and d...
Lake with ducks
Mallard duck (Anas p...
Lone Duck
20090709-K10D-8644
Mallard feather
Like most puddle ducks, the Mallard can spring into the air without having to run across the water's surface to build up speed.
Range and Habitat
The Mallard Duck's summer range covers a wide territory. It stretches from Alaska and Quebec, south to northern Mexico and Texas. The Mallard will spend its winters in the warmer climes of the United States, Central America, and the West Indies.They inhabit most wetlands. They will settle along lakes, ponds, river bends, marshes, estuaries, and even ditches. It is not uncommon to see a family of Mallards, swimming in the lakes and ponds in city parks and playgrounds. If the water is fairly calm, the Mallards will find it.
Stay together!
From Courtship to Parenthood
The Mallard Duck's courtship starts in the fall. The Males grunt and whistle, swim, pump their heads, and preen in front of the females. The females spur the males on with loud calls and suggestive body movements. The rituals usually occur on the water, but chase flights are not uncommon. By midwinter the pairs have formed. The mated pair migrate together returning to the female's place of origin.The nest is usually built on the ground within a hundred yards of water. The depression is lined with soft reeds and grasses. The nest is usually concealed in tall grass or reeds. Once the female lays her eggs, the male abandons her.
The female Mallard's clutch usually has 8 to 13 eggs. They are incubated for 27 to 28 days. The ducklings are precocial, which means they can swim and feed themselves right after hatching. They stay close to their mother for protection until they fledge at 50 to 60 days.
Baby! Where are you going?
Shorebirds of North America, Europe, and Asia
Shorebirds of North America, Europe, and Asia: A Guide to Field Identification (Princeton Field Guides)
Amazon Price: $26.60 (as of 07/11/2009)
Shorebirds of North America, Europe, and Asia is divided into two sections for easy use. The first section shows the shorebirds in standard poses and the second shows them in flight. I prefer this field guide to the others because shorebirds rarely stay still long enough to identify them. With flight illustrations I have a better chance at identifying them.
The Annual Molt
After the Mallard drakes abandon their mates to the job of raising the young, they fly to a secluded area and undergo their annual molt. The molting of their wing feathers leaves them temporarily flightless. They are no longer displaying their courtship plumage, but a drab "eclipse" plumage is similar to that of a female. It provides better camouflage against predators while their wing feathers grow back. The entire process takes 2 to 3 weeks. The hens go through a similar molt once their ducklings have fledged. After breeding season, the Mallard Duck is quite gregarious. They will form large flocks which are known as a sord.
Diet
Mallard Ducks are omnivores. They are often seen with their head under water and their tails sticking up in the air as they dabble for their next meal. That meal may be comprised of plant food, invertebrates, fish, or amphibians. They will also graze on land, feeding on grains and small plants. Flight
A Beautiful Day to Fly!
Voice
The Mallard Ducks are a noisy species. The hen's call is the quack-quack often associated with ducks. The drake's call is a reedy quack and during mating season will pierce the air with sharp single and double-noted whistles.Listen to the call of the Mallard Duck: Sound Byte: Mallard Duck, National Park Service
Lifespan
The lifespan of the Mallard Duck is 7 to 9 years, but over half die before they reach 2 years of age. They die from predation, accidents, hunting and diseases such as botulism, cholera and viruses. The Mallard Duck
nature's humanity
ducks
ducks in grass
in this together
Female Duck at Audle...
Refreshing Beverage
Selecting a Pair of Bird Watching Binoculars
-
Selecting a Pair of Bird Watching Binoculars
-
When I look out my window and watch the birds flutter around the birdfeeder, I really don't need a pair of binoculars or a scope to enjoy the sight. I frequently stop by the window and watch the birds for a minute or two between household tasks. (Occ...
America's 100 Most Wanted Birds
America's 100 Most Wanted Birds
Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009)
If you want to see a gyrfalcon or a fork-tailed flycatcher, this resource might be your best help in spotting them. Mostly for serious birders intent on adding species to their life lists, America's 100 Most Wanted Birds provides detailed strategies for locating 100 of the most uncommon-to-rare bird species in the United States.
Some of my Favorite Dabblers
Have you seen any interesting birds lately?
wayfarer wrote...
Great lens! I enjoy the mallards that make our backyard their home. They truly are a beautiful bird.
Posted June 29, 2009
AbbasAbedi wrote...
Excellent Lens. 5*
If you get a chance check out my Instant Stress Management lens.
Posted June 05, 2009
About the Author
Lensmaster ElizabethJeanAllen, aka Lizzy Jean, has been a member since March 16 2008, has rated 3,690 lenses, favorited 454, and has created 169 lenses from scratch. Lizzy Jean donates their royalties to Squidoo Charity Fund. This member's top-ranked page is "The Mallard Duck". See all my lenses
Why Birds Do That
Why Birds Do That: 40 Distinctive Bird Behaviors Explained & Photographed
Amazon Price: $12.44 (as of 07/11/2009)
Birds are fascinating. Their behavior is complex, often comical. Some sing while others do not. Why Birds Do That explains forty distinctive bird behaviors and is enhanced with numerous photographs. It is a must have book for both the backyard bird watcher as well as the avid birder.
Resources used to construct this page.
Peterson, T.P. & Peterson, V.M. 2002. Birds of Eastern and Central North America, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, N.Y.
Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology
Seattle Audubon Society
Pennsylvania Game Commission
by ElizabethJeanAllen
I tell my students to Learn from the Past, Live in the Present, and Plan for the Future. With Squidoo I can do all three.
(more) Related Topics
ElizabethJeanAllen Recommends...
Favorited By
- Smartshops
- Matthew_Ferry
- aidenw
- naturegirl7
- Margaret_Schaut
- Evelyn_Saenz
- funwithtrains
- DavidYarian
- dtbs
- AbbasAbedi
- enslavedbyfaeries
- sandyspider
- Carol_Wingert
- bdkz
- mukunda22
- LaraineRose
- awelldressedbullet
- mazbond
- Number1Athlete
- happy-jack
- jeffryv
- ArtDiva
- chefkeem
- Certain
- EditionH
- The_Homeopath
- steimannbernard
- AndyPo
- esitesro
- clafun08
- See all 49 people
