Meet the Mallard: The Most Common Duck in the World
Updated: Feb. 14, 2022
The mallard duck is the the most common duck in the world. Mallards usually nest near the water’s edge. Learn how to identify mallards.
What Does a Mallard Duck Look Like?
Distinctive Markings: A male mallard duck has bright-green head, yellow bill and white collar. The female has plain brown plumage with an orange bill. Both males and females have a blue wing patch with white borders, most obvious in flight.
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Mallard Duck Facts
Scientific Name: Anas platyrhynchos.
Family: Duck.
Length: 23 inches.
Wingspan: 35 inches.
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Mallard Nest and Eggs
Remarkably adaptable to civilization, the mallard—the most common duck in the world—will nest in a city park if there is even a small pond. This species usually nests near the water’s edge, but occasionally chooses a site on higher ground.
The mallard’s nest is built on the ground among dead grasses or reeds, often close to water. It can accommodate up to 13 light-colored eggs. To attract nesting mallards, plant hedges and shrubs near water.
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What Do Mallard Ducks Eat?
Diet: Seeds and aquatic insects and plants. What foods can you feed to ducks?
Bird Song
Listen to the Mallard’s song. The female mallard gives a loud, quacking call. Male gives a short, rasping “quehp.”
Bird songs provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
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Range Map and Habitat
Habitat: Open shallow, fresh water, surrounded by grassy fields and woodlands. Learn where to spot mallard ducks.
Range maps provided by Kaufman Field Guides, the official field guide of Birds & Blooms.
Next, learn how to identify an American coot.
