Profile
In flight
Waterfowl
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
- common
- 80 km/h
- Starter
- Least Concern
The ancestor of nearly every domestic duck on Earth. Waddles up with your message like it owns the place.
- Population
- over 19 million individuals globally, stable/increasing
- Habitat
- wetlands, ponds, lakes, marshes, rivers, and urban parks
- Fun fact
- Nearly all domestic duck breeds descend from the wild Mallard, and males molt into a drab flightless 'eclipse' plumage each summer.
- Range
- Holarctic across North America, Europe, and Asia; introduced to Australia and New Zealand
- Diet
- omnivorous dabbler — aquatic plants, seeds and grain, plus insects and mollusks
- Size
- 0.58 m
- Wingspan
- 0.9 m
- Lifespan
- 10 years
