Mallard or Mottled Duck?

General appearance

Mallards are medium-sized dabbling ducks, often seen in and around water bodies. They have a robust body with a round head and a distinctive flat bill. They exhibit a characteristic strong, direct flight.

Male vs female

Male mallards are known for their iridescent green heads, white ring around the neck, and chestnut-brown chest, while females are mottled brown with an orange bill marked with black. Both sexes have a blue speculum bordered with white on their wings. Males lose their bright colors and resemble females during the eclipse plumage in late summer.

Juvenile

Juvenile mallards resemble adult females with their mottled brown coloration but are generally duller and lack the distinct markings. As they mature, young males slowly transition to their vibrant adult plumage. They can often be seen in flocks with adults, using wetlands and ponds for feeding.

Primary habitat

Mallards primarily favor fresh water habitats like marshes, wooded swamps, ponds, and lakes. They are most abundant in prairie potholes and semi-open country north of the prairies during summer, and in swamps and lakes of the lower Mississippi Valley in winter.

Additional range

Besides their primary habitats, mallards can also be found in grain fields, rivers, bays, city parks, and other aquatic environments. During winter, they sparingly occupy coastal waters, particularly sheltered bays and estuaries.

Natural diet

Mallards are omnivorous and their natural diet primarily consists of plant material such as seeds, stems, and roots from a wide variety of plants, including sedges, grasses, pondweeds, and smartweeds. They also consume acorns, other tree seeds, and waste grain. In addition to plants, their diet includes insects, crustaceans, mollusks, tadpoles, frogs, earthworms, and small fish. Young ducklings often feed mostly on aquatic insects.

Bird feeders

At bird feeders, mallards may consume grains and seeds similar to those found in their natural habitat. It's common for them to eat offerings such as cracked corn and birdseed mixes provided by humans.