Mallard
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Mallard
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
-
Class
Aves -
Order
Anseriformes -
Familly
Anatidae
-
40-50cm
-
0.8-1kg
-
28 days
-
10-12
-
up to 25 years in zoos
-
Diet
omnivorous (insects, worms, grains, plants) -
Habitat
wetlands -
Range
mainly the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, China, North Africa, North America) -
Population in the wild
En augmentation -
IUCN REDLIST status
Mallards moult twice a year: in early spring for the breeding season, and in late summer. At these times, they lose their feathers and are unable to fly. The male, whose coat becomes duller during moulting, gets his colours back for mating. The female, whose coat is less conspicuous, incubates the eggs alone.
Wild Mallards’ life expectancy is very low due to hunting. Humans are their greatest predator.
Mallards are the most common ‘dabbling ducks’ – ducks that don’t plunge deep below the surface of the water like ‘diving ducks’ do.