Mallard Bird Facts (Anas platyrhynchos)

Visual Identification

Appearance

The Mallard is a medium-sized duck with a distinctive appearance. Males have a glossy green head, narrow white collar, chestnut-brown chest, and grayish body. Their wings feature a blue speculum bordered by white.

Females are mottled brown with an orange-brown bill, often with dark markings. Both sexes have orange legs and feet. During the late summer molt, males resemble females but retain their yellow bill.

Juvenile Mallards look very similar to adult females, although they do not have the deep blue wing panel. Very young birds have dark bills, but they soon develop the characteristic yellow or orange bills of the adults.

Size

Length

50cm to 65cm

Wingspan

81cm to 98cm

Weight

720g to 1.58kg

Colours

Male Female

Primary Colour

Green Brown

Secondary Colour

Blue White Black

Beak Colour

Yellow

Leg Colour

Orange

Primary Colour (Female)

Brown

Secondary Colour (Female)

Black Buff

Beak Colour (Female)

Orange Brown

Leg Colour (Female)

Orange

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Mallard is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Mallard is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Mallard can be found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Mallard is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Mallard can be found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Mallard can be found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Mallard is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Mallard is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Mallard is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Mallard is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Mallard is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Mallard is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Mallards are found across many wetland habitats, including freshwater ponds, lakes, rivers, and marshes. They also thrive in human-modified environments like city parks, agricultural areas, and suburban retention ponds.

This species has a vast distribution across North America, Europe, and Asia. It is a year-round resident in much of its range, including the UK, USA, and southern Canada, with northern populations migrating south for winter.

Elevation Range

Sea level to 1,000 meters

Climate zones

Temperate, Subtropical, Subarctic

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Mallard. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons

Resident

Breeding

Non-breeding

Vagrant

Distribution by Region

Species that can be found in the area throughout the year

Albania Algeria Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Bangladesh Belarus Belgium Belize Bhutan Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Canada China Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Egypt Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Greenland Guatemala Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Iran Iraq Ireland Italy Japan Kenya Kuwait Latvia Lebanon Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malaysia Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mexico Micronesia Moldova Montenegro Morocco Myanmar Nepal Netherlands Nicaragua Norway Pakistan Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Romania Russia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Somalia South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea Spain Sudan Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan The Bahamas The United Kingdom Tunisia Turkey Turks and Caicos Ukraine United Arab Emirates Vietnam

Species that are present in the area during their breeding season

Australia Bermuda Israel Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Mongolia New Zealand North Korea Russia Tajikistan Turkmenistan United States of America Uzbekistan

Species that are present in the area outside their breeding season

Afghanistan Bahrain Costa Rica Guam Jordan Northern Mariana Islands Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia South Sudan Spain Yemen

Species that appear infrequently (rare) and unpredictably outside their normal range

Antigua and Barbuda Brunei Cayman Islands Cook Islands Djibouti Dominican Republic Fiji Gambia Gibraltar Guadeloupe Jamaica Kiribati Mali Martinique Niger Nigeria Panama Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Senegal Seychelles Sri Lanka Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands Thailand US Virgin Islands Vanuatu Zambia

Behaviour and Ecology

Bird Attributes

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Bird Attributes Explained

Our bird attributes system rates various aspects of a bird's capabilities on a scale of 0-100, based on data from field observations, scientific studies, and expert knowledge.

Attribute Categories:

Agility: Manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.
Strength: Physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.
Adaptability: Ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.
Aggressiveness: Territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.
Endurance: Stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

Understanding the Ratings:

0-20: Very Low
21-40: Low
41-60: Average
61-80: High
81-100: Very High

Remember, these attributes are relative to other bird species and don't necessarily indicate superiority.

Hover over the icon next to each attribute for more information.

Tap the icon next to each attribute for more information.

Agility 85

Agility

Reflects the bird's manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.

Mallards exhibit impressive agility, particularly in flight. They can take off almost vertically from water and achieve speeds up to 88 km/h. Their ability to manoeuvre swiftly in various environments, from wetlands to urban parks, demonstrates their high agility.

Strength 60

Strength

Indicates the bird's physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.

While not exceptionally strong compared to larger waterfowl, Mallards possess moderate strength. They can fly long distances during migration and males engage in physical displays during courtship. Their ability to dabble and forage in various water depths also indicates a decent level of strength.

Adaptability 95

Adaptability

Represents the bird's ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.

Mallards are highly adaptable birds. They thrive in a wide range of habitats from natural wetlands to urban parks, and their diet is varied and flexible. Their ability to nest in diverse locations and adjust to human-modified environments showcases their exceptional adaptability.

Aggressiveness 40

Aggressiveness

Measures the bird's territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.

Mallards are generally not aggressive birds, preferring to live in social groups. However, males may display some aggression during the breeding season when competing for mates. Their moderate score reflects this seasonal variation in behaviour.

Endurance 75

Endurance

Reflects the bird's stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

Mallards demonstrate good endurance, particularly during migration for northern populations. Their ability to fly at high speeds for extended periods and their success in colonising diverse habitats across a wide geographical range indicate strong endurance. However, they are not known for extreme long-distance migrations like some other bird species.

Diet

Mallards have a varied diet, primarily consisting of plant matter such as seeds, stems, and leaves of aquatic vegetation. They also consume insects, worms, snails, and small fish.

In urban areas, they often supplement their diet with bread and other food provided by humans, though this is not recommended.

Mallards find their food on dry land, the water's surface, and below by tipping their bodies and reaching down to the bottom.

Behaviour

Mallards are highly adaptable and social ducks, often seen in large flocks. They are dabbling ducks, tipping forward in the water to feed on submerged vegetation.

On land, they waddle with a characteristic head-bobbing motion. Mallards are known for their ability to take off almost vertically from water.

Vocalisation

The Mallard's vocalizations are distinct and varied. Females produce the familiar loud, repetitive 'decrescendo' 'quack-quack-quack' call, consisting of two to ten rising and then falling quacking notes. This call can be heard over long distances.

Males have a softer, raspy call, often described as a low 'reeb-reeb' sound. During courtship, males also make a high-pitched whistle.

Nesting & Breeding

Mallards typically form pairs in the fall and winter months. The breeding season begins in spring, with timing varying by location. Males perform elaborate courtship displays, including head-bobbing and whistling calls.

Females construct nests on the ground near water, often concealed in vegetation. The nest is a shallow depression lined with grass and down. A typical clutch consists of 8-13 pale greenish or bluish-white eggs.

Incubation lasts about 28 days, performed solely by the female. Ducklings are precocial, leaving the nest within 24 hours of hatching. They can fly at 50-60 days old.

Conservation and Status

Global Conservation Status

Least Concern ^[1]

While Mallards are not currently of conservation concern due to their large population and wide distribution, they face threats from habitat loss and degradation.

Wetland conservation efforts benefit Mallards and many other waterfowl species. Hunting is regulated to maintain sustainable populations.

Population Data

Global Population Estimate

More than 19,000,000 individuals ^[2]

Global Population Trend

^[3]

Trend data may be uncertain or fluctuating

Additional Information

Quick Facts

Other names:

Wild Duck

Family:

Anatidae

Average Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Predators

Mallards face predation from various animals, including foxes, raccoons, large fish, snapping turtles, birds of prey (such as hawks and owls), and in some areas, alligators.

Did You Know?

Mallards can sleep with one eye open, allowing half their brain to remain alert for potential dangers.
They are the ancestors of most domestic duck breeds, except for the Muscovy duck.
Mallards can fly at speeds up to 55 miles per hour (88 km/h).

FAQs

Is a Mallard a female?

Mallards include both males and females of a single duck species. Male Mallards are known as drakes, while females are called ducks or hens.

What's the difference between a duck and a Mallard duck?

All Mallards are ducks, but not all ducks are Mallards. Riddles aside, the Mallard is just one of over a hundred different duck species. Breeding males are easily identified by their bright yellow bills and green heads, although females are similar to other dabbling ducks.

When do male Mallards get their colors?

Male Mallards develop their colorful breeding plumage when they are a few months old. Adult drakes will lose these fancy feathers by June each summer after they have mated, and regrow them by September in time to attract a female before the next breeding season.

Do all male Mallard ducks have green heads?

Male Mallards do not have green heads between July and August each year. They look similar to females at this time, but birdwatchers can still identify them by their bright yellow bills.