Mallard

Adult males (drakes) feature a distinctive glossy dark green head, a white neck ring, chestnut-brown chest, grey flanks, and a black rear with curled tail feathers. Females (hens) are mottled brown and buff with a prominent orange and dark-brown bill, providing camouflage while nesting.

Male: green head, white neck ring, yellow bill. Female: mottled brown overall, orange-and-black bill, and a distinctive purplish-blue speculum wing patch bordered with white.

Length: 50–65 cm (20–26 in), Wingspan: 81–98 cm (32–39 in), Weight: 720–1,580 g (1.6–3.5 lbs)

The female produces a loud, descending series of quacks. The male makes a quieter, low-pitched, muffled two-note rasp or whistle.

Omnivorous; feeds mainly on plant matter, seeds, grasses, roots, as well as insects, snails, and small fish by dabbling or tipping up.

Found in a wide variety of wetlands, including marshes, shallow lakes, rivers, ponds, estuaries, and agricultural drainage ditches.

Partial migrant; northern populations migrate south for the winter, while temperate and urban populations are largely resident.

Nests on the ground hidden in dense vegetation near water. Lays 8 to 13 greenish-buff eggs. Incubation lasts about 26-30 days and is performed entirely by the female.

American Black Duck and various domestic duck breeds. Mallards can also hybridize with other duck species, creating intermediate plumages.

Mallards play an important role in aquatic ecosystems by dispersing seeds of aquatic plants, controlling aquatic insect and plant populations, and serving as a key food source for various predators.

Least Concern, with a stable and extremely widespread global population.

Look for them in almost any body of freshwater, including urban parks, lakes, ponds, and rivers. They are generally approachable, especially where people feed them.

The Mallard is the ancestor of nearly all domestic duck breeds. They are highly adaptable and are considered one of the most abundant and widespread wild ducks in the world.