The Mallard Duck
The green head, yellow bill, and black rump of the Mallard Duck is a familiar sight for many people living in the Northern hemisphere. Nearly 10 million Mallards live in North America with millions more in Eurasia. It is thought to be the most abundant duck in the world today.
The water feels so good!
Description
The Mallard Duck 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.
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
Mrs
Mr.
In Pair
In Pair
Mallard (Male) - Kac...
2 ducklings
2 ducklings
running to mom
2 ducklings
Hungry Duck
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?
Baby Mallard Ducks in my Swimming Pool
In mid June, I came home to find a mother and 8 baby ducklings hanging out in my pool. Estimated to be only a couple of days old, this video is a short documentary from their discovery to their escape/ rescue in the 2 days that they were here
Runtime: 4:12 | 21602 views | 90 Comments
Ducks and Shorebirds
The Shorebird Guide
Join the experts in this revolutionary approach to bird identification. Experienced birders use the most easily observed characteristics - size, structure, behavior, and general color patterns - to identify birds even before looking carefully at plumage details. Now birders at all levels can learn how to identify shorebirds quickly and simply.
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 07/25/2008)
Shorebirds of North America: The Photographic Guide
This field guide covers all of the 94 species of shorebirds that have been documented in North America
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 07/25/2008)
Stokes Beginner's Guide to Shorebirds
This book is intended for beginning nature lovers of all ages, offer a wealth of identification and behavior information in a portable pocket-sized format.
Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 07/25/2008)
Shorebirds of North America, Europe, and Asia: A Guide to Field Identification (Princeton Field Guides)
This book is divided into two major sections, the first showing illustrations of shorebirds in standing poses and the second showing them in flight
Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 07/25/2008)
Peterson Reference Guides: Gulls of the Americas (Peterson Reference Guides)
Detailed information on 36 gulls that occur in North and South America, with over 1,160 photographs.
Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 07/25/2008)
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
What a beautiful day to fly!
Voice
_female.jpg)
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
Office Interruptions
p1190801
A Mallard 1
Double Ducks 2
Dog Chasing Ducks
Elizabeth's Websites
- South Carolina Birder
- An information blog on wild birds, birdwatching, and creating a backyard bird sanctuary.
- Elizabeth Jean Allen, Author Page
- Elizabeth Jean Allen grew up in rural Minnesota, but has spent most of her adult life on the shores of South Carolina. She currently resides in Charleston, SC with her husband Chris and their two sons, Charles and Gregory. She spends the bulk of the year teaching high school science, and spends what little free time she has, reading, writing, and studying the birds.
Remember the Birds
Other Shorebirds and Waders by Lizzy
-
The Great Blue Heron
-
The Great Blue Heron is the largest of the North American herons, dwarfing other herons as well as its closest relatives, the egrets and bitterns.
-
The Canada Goose
-
Known for their V-shaped migrating flocks, and their loud and frequent honking, Canada Geese are among the most familiar of all North America's waterfowl.
-
The Wood Duck
-
The male Wood Duck is very colorful bird with patches of white, green, purple and burgundy plumage. Their crested head is iridescent green and purple. It is a very distinctive duck and easy to identify.
Have you seen any interesting birds lately?
|
poddys
Congratulations on becoming a Giant Squid :) Posted July 04, 2008 |
|
spirituality
Congrats on making giant squid! so did I! Posted July 03, 2008 |
|
chefkeem
When I go to Alaska on my chefing job, I'm really sad about seeing these beautiful creatures killed for a few bites of duck breast. I'm not passing any judgment on duck hunters, but it still makes me sad to see them dead (the ducks, not the hunters!) Wait a minute - this could be misunderstood. I don't mean that I'd like to see duck hunters dead, no, no! But the birds are so pretty...I dug myself into a hole here. Let's keep it simple - your lenswork is outstanding, Liz! 5*s Posted July 02, 2008 |
|
The_Homeopath
I love ducks. We used to keep a home flock of Indian Runners. They were so much fun and so friendly. Posted July 01, 2008 |
|
alicesy
Excellent Lens. I like the quality insight you have provided here about The Mallard Duck. Keep up the good work. Posted June 26, 2008 |
Popular Bird Blogs
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
