Mallard

Welcome to this week’s Wildlife of the Week!

Anas platyrhynchos (male and female)

This week's Wildlife of the Week is the Mallard, one of our most common and most familiar ducks. One of our larger ducks, mallards have a 36 inch wingspan and a body length of about 24 inches. They have hefty bodies, rounded heads and wide, flat bills. Drakes (males) have an iridescent-green head and bright yellow bill. The gray body is sandwiched between a brown breast and black rear. Females and juveniles are mottled brown with orange-and-brown bills. Both sexes have a white-bordered, blue “speculum” patch in the wing. The iridescent head can appear quite dull in low light but on a sunny day it can appear almost neon green. Sometimes it will also appear to be bright purple.

Anas platyrhynchos

They are “dabbling ducks”—they feed in the water by tipping forward and grazing on subaquatic vegetation and animals such as worms, insects and crustaceans. They almost never dive. For this reason they are usually found in water less than three feet deep. They are social ducks and can be found congregating in large flocks. They also tolerate humans well and may be found in farm ponds and city parks. They are found throughout North America. While almost all wild populations migrate, many non-migratory groups have established throughout the United States.

Nests are typically on the ground near water, hidden in vegetation where the female's speckled plumage serves as effective camouflage. The female lays 8-13 eggs which are laid on alternate days and incubation begins when the clutch is almost complete. Incubation takes 27–28 days and fledging takes 50–60 days. The ducklings are fully capable of swimming as soon as they hatch.

Winter migration is in full swing now on the refuge and mallards are present in large numbers. (Photos by Tom Ress)