Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
- FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
- GenusAnas (Mallards, Pintails, and Allies)
- SpeciesAnas platyrhynchos (Mallard)
About the Mallard
The mallard or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. It has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Falkland Islands, and South Africa. Belonging to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae, mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are social animals preferring to congregate in groups or flocks of varying sizes.
Males (drakes) have green heads, while the females (ducks) have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Both sexes have an area of white-bordered black or iridescent purple or blue feathers called a speculum on their wings; males especially tend to have blue speculum feathers. The mallard is 50–65 cm (20–26 in) long, of which the body makes up around two-thirds the length. The wingspan is 81–98 cm (32–39 in) and the bill is 4.4 to 6.1 cm (1.7 to 2.4 in) long. It is often slightly heavier than most other dabbling ducks, weighing 0.7–1.6 kg (1.5–3.5 lb).
The female lays 8 to 13 creamy white to greenish-buff spotless eggs, on alternate days. Incubation takes 27 to 28 days and fledging takes 50 to 60 days. The ducklings are precocial and fully capable of swimming as soon as they hatch.
The non-migratory mallard interbreeds with indigenous wild ducks of closely related species through genetic pollution by producing fertile offspring. Complete hybridisation of various species of wild duck gene pools could result in the extinction of many indigenous waterfowl. This species is the main ancestor of most breeds of domestic duck, and its naturally evolved wild gene pool has been genetically polluted by the domestic and feral mallard populations.
The mallard is considered to be a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and, unlike many waterfowl, is considered an invasive species in some regions. It is a very adaptable species, being able to live and even thrive in urban areas which may have supported more localised, sensitive species of waterfowl before development. Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Mallard in Redwood National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Redwood National Park
Common Teal
Anas crecca
Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
Surf Scoter
Melanitta perspicillata
Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
Common Merganser
Mergus merganser
American White-winged Scoter
Melanitta deglandi
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Greater Scaup
Aythya marila
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
Lesser Scaup
Aythya affinis
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
Cackling Goose
Branta hutchinsii
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Mallard in Redwood National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Mallard sighting in Redwood National Park, based on 406 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Mallard in Redwood National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Mallard in Redwood National Park in our monthly data.