Mallard: The Complete Guide to this Iconic Waterfowl

A pair of Mallards in flight — The Mallard, the most familiar and recognizable duck of our wetlands.

The Master of Wetlands

The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is undoubtedly the most widespread and recognizable duck in the world. This robust waterfowl is a familiar inhabitant of virtually all wetland areas, freshwater bodies, from isolated ponds to urban parks. Its exceptional adaptability allows it to thrive in a wide variety of environments, from Arctic regions to subtropical zones.

The male, with its bright iridescent green head, distinctive white collar, and reddish-brown chest, is easily identifiable. The female, with her more discreet mottled brown plumage, blends perfectly into her environment, providing effective camouflage during nesting. The Mallard is a typical dabbling duck, feeding on the surface or by tipping its body to reach vegetation in shallow bottoms. It is the ancestor of most domestic duck breeds, which testifies to its history of interaction with humans.

Our Ornithologist's Advice

By the Les-Oiseaux.com team, published September 6, 2025.

My personal advice: To observe wild Mallards, look for calm wetlands, riverbanks, or ponds with vegetation. Although they are very tolerant of human presence in parks, they are shyer in natural environments. Mornings and evenings are the best times to see them feeding. Learn to distinguish the hen from females of other species by her blue-violet speculum and her bill, often tinged with orange. Avoid feeding them bread, which is not suitable for their diet and can harm their health and the aquatic environment. Prefer aquatic bird seeds if you wish to feed them.

Identifying the Mallard: Key Criteria

The Mallard is one of the most recognizable waterfowl, notably thanks to the very pronounced sexual dimorphism in adults.

Size: Generally 50 to 68 cm (20 to 27 in) in length.
Weight: Male approximately 1.2 kg (2.6 lbs), female approximately 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs). Can range from 750 g to 1.6 kg (1.6 to 3.5 lbs).
Wingspan: Typically between 75 and 100 cm (30 to 39 in).
Flight speed: Can reach up to 80 km/h (50 mph), with direct and energetic flight.

Plumage:

Adult male (nuptial plumage): Iridescent green head and neck, separated from the chest by a white collar. The chest is reddish-brown, the body light grey, and the back dark grey. The rump is black. On the wing, an iridescent blue-violet speculum is bordered by two white bars. The tail is short, with the four central black rectrices curled upwards, a unique characteristic.
Adult male (eclipse plumage): After the breeding season, males molt and take on duller plumage, very similar to that of the female, but often retain a greenish tint on the head and a more uniform yellow bill.
Adult female: Mottled brown and buff plumage, offering excellent camouflage. The head is more uniform, with a brownish cap and a dark streak through the eye. She shares the blue-violet speculum bordered with white with the male.
Juveniles: Strongly resemble the female, but with darker plumage and more densely spotted underparts. Young males can be distinguished by the presence of a small black curl in the tail, even before their head turns green.

Bill and feet: The male's bill is greenish-yellow, sometimes with a small black spot at the tip. The female's bill is greyish-brown with an orange tinge on the edges and tip. The webbed feet are orange in both sexes.

In flight: The Mallard flies very quickly, with its head and neck stretched forward, characteristic of anatids. The blue speculum is clearly visible in flight and is an excellent identification criterion.

Mallard male and female — The male is distinguished by its green head, the female by its mottled brown plumage.

Scientific Dimensions and Records

Characteristic	Male	Female	Record / Average
Length	50 – 68 cm	50 – 68 cm	50 – 68 cm (20 – 27 in)
Weight	1.2 kg (avg.)	1.1 kg (avg.)	750 g – 1.6 kg (1.6 – 3.5 lbs)
Wingspan	78 – 100 cm	75 – 100 cm	75 – 100 cm (30 – 39 in)
Flight Speed	Up to 80 km/h	Up to 80 km/h	Up to 80 km/h (50 mph)
Lifespan	5 – 10 years (wild)	5 – 10 years (wild)	Up to 25-30 years (captivity/ideal)

The Call: The Quacking of the Hen

The Mallard is a relatively noisy bird, especially the female. Its most characteristic call is the famous loud and repetitive "quack-quack", very similar to that of domestic ducks. The female uses this call for various communications, particularly to call her ducklings or to warn of danger.

The male, on the other hand, is much more discreet and emits weak, soft nasal notes, sometimes whistles during courtship displays. During the hunting season, the flying Mallard hen is often identified by her recognizable "kin-kin" calls.

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Behavior: The Omnivorous Dabbler

The Mallard is a surface-feeding duck, also called a "dabbling duck," meaning it feeds mainly by filtering the water's surface or by tipping its body (head underwater and tail in the air) to reach vegetation and invertebrates in shallow bottoms. It can also graze on meadows and agricultural fields. Its diet is omnivorous and opportunistic, including seeds, aquatic and terrestrial plants, insects, mollusks, worms, small fish, tadpoles, and crustaceans.

Outside the breeding season, the Mallard is a gregarious species, gathering in sometimes large flocks, often in the company of other waterfowl, on large bodies of water. It is monogamous, but pairs generally re-form each year. Courtship displays, which can begin in autumn and intensify in spring, are elaborate: males circle the female, stretch their necks, straighten up, puff out their chests, and emit whistles.

Reproduction takes place in spring. The female alone builds the nest on the ground, in a hidden spot within dense vegetation near a body of water, and lines it with down plucked from her own belly. She generally lays 8 to 12 pale green eggs, which she incubates alone for 27 to 28 days. Ducklings are precocial, meaning they leave the nest a few hours after hatching and are capable of swimming and feeding on their own. They stay with the mother for about 7 to 8 weeks before becoming independent, reaching full autonomy between 50 and 60 days.

Habitat and Distribution

The Mallard is a widespread native species across much of the Northern Hemisphere, covering Europe, Asia, and North America, with the exception of tundra regions, high mountains, and deserts. It has also been successfully introduced to Australia and New Zealand.

Its habitat flexibility is remarkable. It can frequent all kinds of wetland environments, whether stagnant or flowing, large or small: lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, sheltered coastal bays, canals, and even ditches in agricultural areas. It adapts very well to urban environments, and it is commonly found in large city parks where it is less shy.

Although many populations are sedentary (particularly in Western Europe), the northernmost populations are migratory, moving to milder wintering areas further south. They can travel long distances during these migrations.

Distribution Map

Conservation Status

The Mallard is classified as "Least Concern" (LC) on the IUCN Red List. This classification reflects its extremely vast range and a global population considered numerous and generally stable, even increasing in some regions like Canada since 2007.

Its adaptability to various habitats, including urban ones, and its eclectic diet have largely contributed to its success and maintenance despite pressures. However, threats do exist. Hunting represents significant mortality, with the Mallard being one of the most hunted bird species. Degradation and loss of wetland habitat due to agricultural development and urbanization remain local concerns.

A major challenge for the genetic conservation of wild Mallards is hybridization with domestic ducks and other species, such as the American Black Duck in North America, which can lead to "genetic pollution" of wild populations. Managing these hybridizations is an important aspect of conservation strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the main characteristics of the Mallard?

The Mallard is a medium-sized waterfowl; the male is famous for its iridescent green head, white collar, and brown chest, while the female has cryptic mottled brown plumage. Both sexes have a blue-violet speculum bordered with white. It has a robust body, a broad bill, and orange webbed feet.

Where does the Mallard live and what are its preferred habitats?

The Mallard has a circumpolar distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, from Europe to Asia and North America, and has been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. It is a highly adaptable species, frequenting all kinds of wetlands: lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, canals, ditches, and even urban parks. It prefers shallow waters rich in vegetation.

What does the Mallard mainly eat?

The Mallard is an omnivorous dabbling duck. Its diet is very varied, composed of seeds, vegetative parts of aquatic and terrestrial plants (including crops), aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates (insects, molluscs, worms, crustaceans), small fish, and tadpoles. It mainly feeds by filtering the surface of the water or by tipping its body to reach vegetation in shallow bottoms.

How does the Mallard reproduce?

The Mallard is monogamous for the breeding season, with pairs forming as early as autumn. The female builds the nest on the ground, well hidden in vegetation near water. She generally lays 8 to 12 eggs, which she incubates alone for approximately 27 to 28 days. The ducklings are precocial, capable of swimming and feeding a few hours after hatching, but remain with the mother for about 7 to 8 weeks.