Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Also known as: Common Mallard, Domestic Duck, Mallard Duck, Northern Mallard, Anec Coll-Verd
Habitat
Aquatic
Diet
Omnivore
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
843 g
About This Species
Look for them dabbling in shallow margins of ponds, lakes, marshes, and slow rivers, where the drake's iridescent green head and the hen's mottled brown plumage with an iridescent purple-blue speculum make both sexes identifiable at close range. Listen for the hen's familiar descending quack series and the drake's quieter, raspy single note, often heard before birds are seen at dawn or dusk when activity peaks. Late autumn through early spring offers the most rewarding views, as flocks concentrate on open water and courtship displays — involving head-pumping and wing-lifting — begin as early as midwinter on calm, frost-free mornings.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Maintain a respectful distance of at least 10–15 metres, and increase this significantly during nesting season (typically March–July in the Northern Hemisphere) when females may flush from nests and abandon eggs if disturbed.
- Although classified as Least Concern, they remain protected under legislation such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in North America and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in Great Britain, which prohibit intentional disturbance, harm, or interference with active nests.
- Use binoculars or a telephoto lens rather than approaching closely, avoid feeding (which disrupts natural foraging behaviour and can cause health issues), and withdraw quietly if individuals show signs of agitation such as alarm calls, raised head posture, or movement away from you.
Seasonal Activity
27,971,846 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
Traits
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Foraging
- Aquatic
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 843 g
Photo
(c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.