Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
The mallard is a widespread and highly adaptable dabbling duck found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Males are characterized by their iridescent green heads and bright yellow bills, whereas females possess a cryptic brown plumage for camouflage. As a generalist omnivore, it inhabits a diverse range of wetlands and has successfully adapted to human-altered environments.
Details
Identification
Males with iridescent green head, yellow bill, and white neck ring; females mottled brown; both sexes feature a blue wing speculum.
Social behavior
Highly gregarious in large groups outside the breeding season; pair formation typically occurs as early as autumn (seasonal monogamy).
Diet
Omnivorous; feeds on plant matter (seeds, aquatic plants) as well as animal prey (insects, snails, tadpoles, small fish).
Hunting strategy
Dabbling in shallow water, grazing on riparian vegetation, and occasional diving in shallow depths.
Overwintering
Remains at ice-free water bodies, often in urban areas with supplemental feeding; undergoes facultative migration to milder regions during severe frost.
Ecology
Ecological role
Important vector for the long-distance dispersal of aquatic plant seeds (endozoochory) and a key prey species for various predators.
Natural predators
Red fox, brown rat (eggs/ducklings), Northern pike, White-tailed eagle, Northern goshawk, Eurasian eagle-owl, raccoon.
Competitor species
Other dabbling ducks (e.g., Gadwall), Egyptian goose (nesting site competition), Mute swan (territorial behavior).
Ecosystem service
Seed dispersal, nutrient transport between aquatic and terrestrial habitats, cultural value (wildlife viewing).
Threats
Habitat loss due to drainage, lead poisoning, predation by invasive species, water pollution.
Scientific profile
Morphology & ID
Breeding plumage
Male (drake) has a glossy emerald-green head, white collar, and purplish-brown breast; greyish body and black tail-coverts with recurved central feathers. Female is mottled brown with a dark eye-stripe year-round.
Non-breeding plumage
Eclipse plumage of the male resembles the female but is typically darker and more rufous on the breast; the bill remains a solid dull yellow to olive-green in males.
Juvenile plumage
Resembles the adult female but with finer streaking on the underparts and often a darker crown; sexes are difficult to distinguish in juvenile plumage.
Sexual dimorphism
Strongly pronounced during the breeding plumage period (autumn to early summer); males are brightly colored, females have cryptic brown plumage.
Distinguishing features
Blue wing speculum with white borders present in both sexes; recurved tail feathers (drake's curl) in males; bright orange legs.
Confusion species
Gadwall (Anas strepera - white speculum), Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata - spatulate bill), Northern Pintail (Anas acuta - longer neck, pointed tail).
Bill
Male: uniform yellow to olive-green. Female: orange with variable dark (black/brown) spotting or saddle markings.
Vocalization
Song
No true song; courtship calls of the male are a soft, high-pitched 'phiiu'.
Call
Female: loud, descending 'quack-quack-quack'. Male: muffled, raspy 'rab-rab'.
Distribution & migration
Breeding range
Widespread across the Holarctic; all of Europe, North Asia, North America.
Wintering range
Partially resident, partially migratory; wintering grounds extend to North Africa, Mexico, and Southeast Asia.
Migration details
In Central Europe mostly resident or short-distance migrant; northeastern populations migrate southwest.
Habitat
Breeding habitat
Almost all water body types: lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, urban parks; prefers shallow shorelines with cover.
Foraging habitat
Shallow water zones, flooded meadows, agricultural fields (stubble), urban green spaces.
Breeding biology
Nest construction
Shallow scrape on the ground, well hidden in vegetation; lined with plant material and grey down feathers. Occasionally in tree cavities or pollarded willows.
Eggs
Uniformly pale greenish, greyish, or creamy; smooth.
Parental care
Sole incubation and leading of the precocial chicks by the female.
Diet & behaviour
Diet breeding
Omnivorous: aquatic plants, seeds, insect larvae, snails, tadpoles; high protein content for ducklings.
Diet winter
Predominantly plant-based: seeds, grains, aquatic plants, often bread in urban areas (unnatural).
Feeding technique
Dabbling (head underwater, tail up), straining water with lamellated bill, grazing on land.
Foraging strategy
Opportunistic omnivore; searches for food both in water and on land.
Sociality
Highly social outside the breeding season; forms large flocks at resting and molting sites.
Flock behaviour
Pronounced flocking behavior in winter and during migration; often associates with other duck species.
Protection & threats
Main threats
Habitat loss due to drainage, hybridization with domestic ducks, lead poisoning from shot (local), predation by invasive species (e.g., raccoon).
Population trend
Stable to slightly declining in some Central European regions, but overall very common and not threatened.
Conservation measures
Wetland conservation, reduction of lead shot, management of invasive predators, protection of riparian buffer zones.