Mallard Ducks !

• Mallard ducks are most commonly identified by green heads and yellow bills
• They are the most abundant and wide-ranging duck on Earth
• Males have the bright green heads with a white neckband, and chestnut gray body
• Females are brown with purple-blue feathers on wings
• They can grow up to 26 inches and weigh up to 3 lbs.
• Their average life span is 5-10 years
• They eat fish, amphibians, and plants that live in the water
• They eat grains and plants on land
  • They graze

• Their eyes are dark
• Feet are bright orange-red
• Young ducks look similar to the females
• The Mallard Duck is the ancestor to all other duck breeds
• Only the female incubates eggs and takes care of the ducklings
• Ducks can be found in all wetland habitats
• Females typically lay 1-13 eggs
• Eggs are creamy to greenish in color
  • The incubation period is 23-30 days
• At hatching, the ducklings are:
  • Covered in down
  • Leave the nest at 13-16 hours after hatching
  • Are independent at 52-70 days old
• They are found throughout North America and across Eurasia

• Mallards take flight from the water almost vertically
• They can reach speeds of up to 70 feet per second
• They have the longest migration of any duck- late summer to early winter
  • Migrate back in March and April
• Males are known as drakes
• Females are known as hens
• Males almost never breed in the same area twice

Works Cited:

• www.animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/mallard-duck
• www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/lifehistory
• www.racingducks.com

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