Even if you go out of your way to ignore birds, it is difficult not to notice the Mallard. First, it is probably the most common and abundant duck species around. Second, the drake is a knock-out with his bright yellow bill, iridescent green head, white collar ring, brown chest and light-colored body. He is always worth a second look. This dabbling duck is the archetypal duck in several respects. Not only is it what we envision when we hear the word “duck,” but the Mallard is the ancestor of most domestic ducks except the Muscovy Duck.

The Mallard can be found around the world in the northern hemisphere. It is an active breeder with other duck species. In some areas where the Mallard has been introduced, it is hybridizing native duck species out of existence. It is now rare to find a pure New Zealand Grey Duck because of widespread hybridization with the Mallard. The Mallard also readily hybridizes with the Pacific Black Duck of Australia and the Hawaiian Duck.

Ducks are strong fliers and flocks of migrating Mallards have been observed at estimated speeds of 55 miles per hour. The oldest known Mallard lived to be more than 27 years of age. While the Mallard is a migratory duck, there are many feral populations that remain on city ponds and other such sites year round. If a Mallard approaches in an urban park to beg food, such as bread, it is a feral duck. It would be unusual behavior in a wild, migratory duck.

Plant material makes up the majority of the Mallard’s diet. But this duck is an omnivore that will also eat tree seeds such as acorns and waste grains in farm areas, as well as insects, crustaceans, mollusks, earthworms, frogs, and small fish. Ducklings mostly eat aquatic insects.

Pairs form in fall and winter. Courtship displays by the male include dipping his bill in the water, rearing up while making whistle and grunt calls, raising his head and tail while making a sharp call, and flinging water about with his bill. The Mallard is flexible in its choice of nest sites, as long as they are usually within a mile of water. Typical nest sites include concealing ground vegetation, tree stumps or hollows, and artificial baskets above water, among many possibilities. The female builds a simple nest that is a shallow bowl of plant material. She lays anywhere between 5 – 20 eggs, most often 5 – 10. The female incubates the eggs for nearly a month and the young leave the nest a day after hatching. They stay close to the hen but feed themselves. They take their first flight about two months after hatching. Before their first flight, ducklings are vulnerable to predation by other birds and by mammals.

The Mallard drake is a quiet boy. The well-known quacks of this species are vocalizations made by the hen. You can listen to her calls at this site: https://www.xeno-canto.org/160324. A male calling can be heard here: https://www.xeno-canto.org/170676.