The mallard (/ˈmælɑːrd, ˈmælərd/), (Anas platyrhynchos), is one of the most recognizable bird species around the world. It is a dabbling duck which has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Falkland Islands, and South Africa, breeding in the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurosiberia, and North Africa. Mallards extended their spread eastward across southern Canada during the 20th century. The bird shows a purplish-blue speculum as it flies, which is outlined in white. A black, iridescent-green head and a bright yellow bill are on the Male Mallards. Between the brown breast and the black back, the gray body is sandwiched. With orange-and-brown bills, females and juveniles are mottled browns. The wing has a white-bordered, blue “speculum” patch on both sexes. The length of the mallard is 50-65 cm (20-26 in), of which the length of the body is about two-thirds. 81-98 cm (32-39 in is the wingspan and the bill is 4.4 to 6.1 cm (1.7 to 2.4 in) long. It is also slightly heavier, weighing 0.72–1.58 kg (1.6–3.5 lb) than most other dabbling ducks. The mallard is a common dabbling duck, feeding in the shallows of wetlands, marshes, streams, and rivers on plants as well as on small animals. A dark brown chest is also present in breeding male mallards, and the sides and most of the wings are gray. The tail is black and white, and yellow is the bill. The overall plumage of female mallards is spotted with tan and brown patches, with a lighter tan on the head, displaying dark bands on the crown and eyes. The female beaks are orange, covered with dark spots.
(Pairs of Mallard Duck)
The ideal habitat of this bird is freshwater areas and shallow marshes, although the mallard can be seen in almost any location with open water, consisting of subalpine lakes, metropolis parks, estuaries along the coast as nicely as sheltered bays. During courtship, three or more males may also show simultaneously, shaking heads and tails, performing problematic consignment dipping and bobbing movements, and whistling. The female lays, on alternating days, eight to thirteen creamy white to greenish-buff spotless eggs. It takes 27 to 28 days to incubate and 50 to 60 days to fly. As soon as they hatch, the ducklings are precocious and completely capable of swimming. The “Mexican Duck”, Anas platyrhynchos diazi, a subspecies of the Mallard, occurs in parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. Both males and females closely resemble Mallard females, although the color of the body is slightly darker than a typical Mallard female. Typically, a mallard survives in the wild for 5 to 10 years. The oldest recorded mallard was a male who lived until the age of 27. In the meantime, there are resident populations composed of people who tend to winter in areas with plenty of shelter and food. There are very curious and spectacular displays of these species. Mallards, with stable populations, are very common ducks and are not a species of concern. In certain areas, at certain times, and with certain populations, hunting mallards may cause the population to decline. The mallard can be legally shot in some nations but is protected under national acts and policies. It might be easier to listen to a female mallard than to spot one since women sound out the familiar “quack” associated with ducks. Male mallards, even when another male is fighting, are deaf.
