A hardy, adaptable bird that is undoubtedly the most abundant wild duck in the world. The male is unmistakable, with an iridescent green head, chestnut breast, light-gray body, white tail, and yellow bill. The female is mottled yellowish-brown with white tail feathers and a dark brown bill. Both male and female have a purplish-blue, white-bordered wing mark. Mallards are strong fliers and are exceptionally fast for their size, reaching speeds of 40 mph. It is a noisy species that inhabits most wetlands, including parks, ponds, and rivers.
Mallards consume a wide variety of foods, including vegetation, insects, worms, gastropods and arthropods
After the breeding season, mallards form flocks and migrate from northern latitudes to warmer southern areas. There they wait and feed until the breeding season starts again. Some mallards, however, may choose to stay through the winter in areas where food and shelter are abundant; these mallards make up a resident populations. The mallard usually feeds by dabbling for plant food or grazing.
Unlike many waterfowl, mallards have benefited from human alterations to the world – so much so that they are now considered an invasive species in some regions.
Least Concern
