Overview

The mallard is the most familiar duck on Earth — and the wild ancestor of almost every domestic duck breed. Males in breeding plumage carry an unmistakable glossy green head, white collar, and chestnut breast; females are elegantly mottled brown, built for camouflage on the nest.

From city park lakes to country rivers, mallards are a reliable common discovery. They are comfortable around people, often paddling close to pond edges hoping for bread — though grain and birdseed are healthier treats if you choose to feed them.

Habitat

Mallards inhabit ponds, rivers, lakes, marshes, and estuaries across the Northern Hemisphere and have been introduced worldwide. They favour slow-moving freshwater with vegetated edges for nesting, but adapt readily to urban park lakes, canals, and flooded gravel pits.

Countries found

Interesting facts

01
Male mallards moult their bright green head feathers after breeding season.
02
The mallard is the ancestor of nearly all domestic duck breeds.
03
Females make the classic loud 'quack'; males produce a softer, rasping call.
04
Mallards can take off almost vertically from water when startled.
05
They dabble for food — tipping head-down to graze underwater plants and insects.
06
Ducks have three eyelids, including a clear nictitating membrane for underwater vision.

Conservation status

LC — Least Concern

Mallards are Least Concern with a vast and expanding global range. Hunting regulation, wetland protection, and the species' adaptability to human-modified landscapes have kept populations healthy across most of their range.