Mallard Duck

The avian kingdom is full of fascinating species of birds with their unique characteristics. One such interesting species is the mallard duck, whose zoological name is anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos. This species of ducks, which is also known as the wild duck, can be found in the wetlands of North America. Other areas, apart from North America, where the mallard duck species can be found are Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and New Zealand, Being a waterfowl, the main mallard duck habitat is river bogs and other wetlands that the birds mark as their territory. The mallard ducks also have some peculiar habits when it comes to laying eggs. Read further for more amazing information on the mallard duck.

Classification of the Mallard Duck

The mallard duck is taxonomically classified as follows:

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Anseriformes
Family:	Anatidae
Subfamily:	Anatinae
Genus:	Anas
Species:	A. platyrhynchos
Binomial Name:	Anas platyrhynchos

Mallard Duck Facts

There are many fascinating facts about the mallard duck and its habits. A few of the interesting and amazing facts about this species of duck is given as follows.

• The mallard duck is one of the abundant species of ducks with huge numbers in North America. The highest number of mallard ducks can be found in Alberta, Manitoba, North Dakota and the Prairie Pothole Region of Saskatchewan.
• The distinctive feature that differentiates the male and female mallard ducks is the color of their bodies. The male mallard duck or drake has a green colored head with a yellow bill. The male ducks are also called greenheads. The body is brown colored with a white ring at the neck. The female, or hen, on the other hand has a tan colored body, with an orange bill and white tail.
• Being omnivorous in food habits, the mallard duck diet consists of aquatic plants, seeds, tender stems, leaves etc. In the absence of food, these ducks feed on insects, crustaceans, mollusks, fish eggs and snails. Domesticated mallard ducks can be fed grains, oats, barley, and spinach.
• These dabbling ducks are migratory in nature and have the longest migration periods, usually beginning in summer and ending in early winter season, when compared to other migratory birds. During the harsh winter season, mallard ducks migrate to places that are warmer and go back to their original habitat once the climate returns to normal.
• Just like other migratory birds, mallard ducks have a keen sense of direction and can recognize their marked territory from far.
• The mallard duck can easily adapt itself to any environment. Hence these ducks can also be spotted roaming fearlessly near human habitation.
• A group of mallard ducks on ground is called a sord, and while the ducks are in flight it is called flock. The ducks fly in a V shaped pattern while migrating.
• Being a noisy species, the mallard duck sounds are usually heard during the breeding season. The female species are louder and have a distinctive quack. The females use this sound to attract prospective mates.
• After a gestation period of approximately 30 days the female mallard duck lays about 12 to 14 eggs. While laying eggs, which are creamy or greenish in color, the hens are very selective of the place for building the nest. They usually prefer the place, where they were hatched.
• The female builds nests made of breast feathers and twigs near water bodies. The ducklings are able to fend for themselves as soon as they hatch out of the eggs. They are also precocial, which means they can swim on their own without any assistance from the parent. The mallard duck is a family oriented bird and can always be found with its ducklings.