Wildlife
Mallards are the archetypal and most recognisable ducks. They are found wherever there is water, from rivers and lakes to remote ponds and coastal marshes. It is their adaptablility to all kinds of environment that has brought mallards to towns and parks. The males sport a glossy green head and white neck ring, and what the females lack in colour they make up for in noise. The familiar 'quack' is the call of the female summoning her ducklings. Mallards are the ancestors of many breeds of domestic duck and readily interbreed with them.
Did you know?
The loud 'quack-quack' of a female duck can be heard for miles.
All you need to know about British birds.
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Wild nature
Urchfont's domestic ducks are a rowdy lot that still behave like wild ducks.
Urchfont's domestic ducks are a rowdy lot that still behave like wild ducks.
Local amenity
Duck ponds provide a useful resource for wild birds.
Duck ponds provide a useful resource for wild birds.
Great leaps
Five storeys up a building makes for a long leap for fledging ducklings.
Five storeys up a building makes for a long leap for fledging ducklings.
Duck decoy
A mother mallard plays a risky game to lure a mink away from her hidden chicks.
A mother mallard plays a risky game to lure a mink away from her hidden chicks.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Mallard can be found in a number of locations including: Africa, Asia, China, Europe, Indian subcontinent, Mediterranean, North America, United Kingdom, Wales, Ynys-hir nature reserve. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Mallard distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Year assessed: 2009
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The Mallard (/ˈmælɑrd/ or /ˈmælərd/) or Wild Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae.
The male birds (drakes) have a glossy green head and are grey on wings and belly, while the females have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are gregarious. This species is the ancestor of most breeds of domestic ducks.
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Farmland
Coastal
Estuaries
Flooded grassland
Lakes and ponds
Marsh
Rivers and streams
Swamp
Taiga
Broadleaf forest
Coniferous forest
Temperate grassland
Tropical grassland
Rainforest
Urban
Wetlands
Migration
Adapted to swimming
Camouflage
Adapted to flying
Acoustic communication
Maternal care
Moulting
Egg layer
Active at birth
Social
Sexual dimorphism
Visual communication