Mallard is a large and stocky bird with a large head and a very short tail. The total body length can reach 62 centimeters, and the wingspan is 1 meter. The maximum weight is 1.5 kilograms. Females are slightly smaller in size than males.
Male color
The bird has pronounced sexual dimorphism. Simply put, males and females externally are well distinguished. This is especially noticeable in the spring and winter. Indeed, it is during these seasons that birds form pairs.
The mallard duck drake in the mating season has a dark greenish color on the neck and head, with a golden hue. All this beauty on the neck is framed by a white trim. The back is brown, with a grayish tint and dark strokes that become even darker towards the back of the body. The chest is chocolate-colored, and the abdomen is grayish. The wings are painted brown with a gray tint, with bright purple and white borders.
A black curl flaunts on the tail of the male. All other feathers are absolutely straight and painted in light gray.
After the molting has taken place, the male looks very much like a female, there is no contrast color, brown and black shades predominate. Only breasts with a yellowish or chestnut color indicate that it is a male bird.
Female color
What duck mallard? Throughout its life, it has the same pattern and is almost indistinguishable from other types of ducks.
The upper body is painted in red, brown and black tones. The lower part, the area under the tail and above the tail, has a brownish-red color, buffy, with brown spots, without clear boundaries. The chest is buff or straw colored.
Like the male, on the wings there are shiny mirrors, and on the muzzle there are dark stripes through the eyes.
The bird has orange legs (males), the female color is slightly paler, dirty orange.
Habitat
In the Euro-Asian part of the planet, a bird of this species is represented everywhere, excluding the highlands, Scandinavia, where it is too cold, and the treeless part of the Russian tundra. In Siberia, common mallard occurs up to northern Kamchatka and Salekhard.
In Asia, birds of this species live on the shores of the Yellow Sea, in the south of the Himalayas (on the slopes), in Iran and Afghanistan. Bird can be found on the Kuril and Japanese islands, the Aleutian and Commander Islands. Also present in Hawaii, Greenland and Iceland.
In North America, the population is in the east, right up to Nova Scotia and Maine (USA). In the south, the settlements are spread to the states bordering Mexico, although a bird appears here exclusively in the winter.
Intentionally or accidentally introduced in New Zealand, southeast Australia and South Africa.
Migratory or not?
Depending on the habitat, the mallard duck can lead a nomadic lifestyle. So, in the north of Russia in winter, birds move closer to the North Caucasus and the Don basin. Birds living in Turkey fly closer to the Mediterranean Sea.
For example, birds living in Greenland lead a sedentary lifestyle. In the Icelandic Islands, most of the population remains there for wintering, and part of it flies to the British Isles.
Feathers living in urban areas also lead a sedentary lifestyle. A vivid example is the species living on ice-free ponds in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In Western Europe, they can even nest in attics and live there year-round.
Food
Mallard is considered an omnivorous representative of birds. She consumes both plant foods and animal sources. Although it has been observed that most of all birds like to enjoy water plants: horned, sedge and duckweed. In summer and autumn, he uses cereals.
Of the representatives of the fauna, the duck consumes shellfish, frogs, their eggs, fry of fish and insects.
From birds there is even an agricultural sense, they destroy plant pests and eat weeds.
Most difficult for birds in the winter, food of animal origin in the diet is practically absent. They feed mainly on aquatic plants.
In urban conditions, the bird quickly gets used to feeding and eats almost exclusively at the expense of human handouts.
Lifestyle
Perhaps every person saw a photo of a mallard and even saw a bird in the parks. But few people know that birds do not like to dive and do this in exceptional cases - when there is danger or injury. By harvesting food underwater, the bird plunges its head and body as deep as possible and is repelled by both legs, but does not dive. The hunt is conducted mainly at a depth of up to 35 centimeters.
From water, a bird raises its body relatively easily. During the summer, it makes the characteristic “twist-twist” sounds.
Feathered birds can live alone and in pairs, in small groups.
A duck walks, slightly waddling, although it runs quite well on the ground.
Breeding
Mallard duck is ready for breeding after the onset of 1 year of age. In migratory birds, breeding occurs in the spring, and in settled birds in the fall.
Drains in packs more. This is due to the fact that many females die during the hatching process. In light of this, fights between males for the right to possess a female individual very often occur.
Despite the fact that, in principle, the drake chooses, if the female liked the particular drake, she can express her interest, circling around him.
In the process of mating, birds also perform a certain “ritual”, twitch their heads, beaks, and the female cranes her neck. At the end of the process, the drake performs a “lap of honor” around the darling, then the couple bathes for a long time.
The vast majority of males disappear from the field of view of the female as soon as she begins to hatch eggs. Although there are cases when the spleen even participated in the process of raising offspring.
The female nest is located in a secluded place, in thickets, hollows, bushes or under trees. If the nest is on the ground, then this is a small hole with lint laid in it.
The female lays eggs in the evening, daily one at a time. The hatching process begins after laying the last egg. They can be from 9 to 13. The average weight of one egg is from 25 to 46 g, depending on the term. Hatching lasts from 22 to 29 days.
If foreign eggs fall into the nest, then the female quickly notices this, since at least all common mallards have very similar eggs, nevertheless they differ in color, size and shape of each female. As a rule, nests where ducks plant their eggs remain unowned, and all offspring die. If the nest is ruined before the end of masonry, then the duck makes a new one and begins the masonry process again.
Chicks
Until the chicks fledged, the fluff has a dark olive color, with yellowish spots on the lower back and wings. From the beak there is a dark and narrow strip that ends in the ear area.
After the babies have fledged, they resemble a female. However, the boys have a wavy pattern, brownish spots and stripes.
At the moment of birth, the baby weighs no more than 38 grams, it dries in a couple of hours. And babies can swim and walk already in 12-16 hours after birth. The first days the chicks spend a lot of time near their mother, but feed on their own.
It is an interesting fact that the chicks from one nest recognize each other from the first day, and if a stranger approaches them, they drive him away. The mother also does.
Toddlers stay with their mother for up to 8 weeks.
Enemies
It is almost impossible to see a photo of a common Mallard, which is hunted by someone other than a person. In fact, the bird has many enemies in its natural environment. This is almost all representatives of owls, hawks and falcons, crows and eagles, even some types of gulls.
Some representatives of mammals do not mind eating duck meat. The fox, marten, raccoon dog, skunks and otter can hunt. These animals also often destroy nests.
