Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos · Bird, Vertebrate, Warm-blooded, Wild
Animal Family
Anatidae, order Anseriformes, class Aves
Animal Category
Waterfowl
Breed / Variety
Wild Mallard Drake
Conservation Status
IUCN Status: Least Concern, with a stable population trend globally.
About This Creature
The prominent male mallard in the foreground features a distinctive glossy bottle-green head, a white neck ring, a brown chest, grey flanks, and a yellowish-orange bill. Length ranges from 50 to 65 cm with a wingspan of 81 to 98 cm.
Physical Characteristics
Streamlined body built for swimming and flight, webbed orange feet, broad flat bill with lamellae for straining food, and iridescent blue-violet speculum feathers on the wings.
Behavior & Temperament
Highly social, forms flocks outside of breeding season, diurnal activity patterns, communicates via distinct quacks and whistles, and engages in complex courtship displays.
Habitat & Diet
Origin Region
Native across temperate and subtropical regions of North America, Europe, Asia, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia.
Habitat
Wetland/Marsh, Freshwater (River/Lake), Aquatic and Aerial
Diet & Nutrition
Omnivorous, feeding on plant matter, seeds, roots, insects, small fish, and amphibians by dabbling in shallow water or grazing on land.
Lifespan & Health
Typical lifespan is 5 to 10 years in the wild, up to 20 years in captivity. Subject to avian diseases and predation by large raptors, mammals, and fish.
Special Characteristics
Exceptional adaptability to human-modified environments, strong flying ability reaching speeds up to 90 km/h, and the ancestral stock of almost all domestic duck breeds.
Ecological Information
Serves as an important seed disperser and nutrient cycling agent in wetland ecosystems, while acting as prey for various apex predators.