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2

Mallard

(Anas platyrhynchos)
Alternate name(s): "Wild Duck"
German name(s): "Stockente", "Wilde Ente", "Märzente"

Size: 50-65 cm; wing span 80-100 cm
Weight: 0.7-1.6 kg

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Mallard at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "caesia"

ADULT

MALE

BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a male Mallard in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. James's Park, London, England, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a male Mallard in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Lateral view of a male Mallard in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2020]

Lateral view of a male Mallard in breeding plumage
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, June 2010]

Lateral view of a male Mallard in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. James's Park, London, England, September 2019]

Dorsal view of a male Mallard in worn breeding plumage (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

NON-BREEDING

Frontal view from above of a male Mallard in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. James's Park, London, England, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a male Mallard in non-breeding plumage with what looks like a blind eye (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. James's Park, London, England, September 2019]

Near-lateral view from above of a male Mallard in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. James's Park, London, England, September 2019]

Lateral view of a male Mallard in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[St. James's Park, London, England, September 2019]

Lateral view of a male Mallard in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Parque da Paz, Almada, Setubal, Portugal, July 2019]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female Mallard (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Moita do Ribatejo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2019]

Lateral portrait of a female Mallard
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, June 2010]

Close-up lateral view of a female Mallard (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Lateral view of a female Mallard (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2020]

Lateral view of a female Mallard (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Dorsal view of a female Mallard in worn plumage (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Lateral view of a female Mallard in flight (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, June 2019]

Lateral view of a female Mallard in flight (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, June 2019]

Dorsal view of a female Mallard banking to land on water (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2016]

PAIR

BREEDING

Frontal view of a pair of Mallards in breeding plumage, female in front (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Lagoa de Albufeira, Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, January 2020]

Lateral view of a pair of Mallards in breeding plumage resting on a frozen pond (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Mallards in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Badajoz, Badajoz province, Spain, January 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Mallards in breeding plumage resting on a frozen pond (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Mallards in breeding plumage resting on a frozen pond (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Two pairs of Mallards, males in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Castro Verde, Beja, Alentejo, Portugal, September 2020]

Mallards in breeding plumage on a frozen pond (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Near-lateral view of Mallards in breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]

Lateral view of Mallards in breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]

Lateral/ventral view of Mallards, males in breeding plumage, in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2020]

Near-dorsal view of Mallards in breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]

NON-BREEDING

Two pairs of Mallards, with males in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2019]

Sex unknown

Two Mallards in non-breeding plumage
[Holzmaar, Eifel, Rheinland-Pfalz, August 2014]

Mallards in non-breeding plumage preening
[May 2006]

Mallards in non-breeding plumage in a farm yard in the Austrian Alps (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Matrei, Osttirol, Austria, July 2017]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a snoozing juvenile Mallard (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Spiekeroog, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Lateral view of two female Mallards with ducklings (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2020]

Lateral view of a female Mallard with 9 ducklings (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Avis, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]

Behaviour

Like many other species of ducks, Mallards are sociable animals that can gather in large flocks outside the breeding season (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Like many other species of ducks, Mallards are sociable animals that can gather in large flocks outside the breeding season (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

In Australia, Mallards can interbreed with Pacific Black Ducks
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, May 2013]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

mallard_jp_20230222.mp3 caesia
(Portugal)
Contact calls? (Q&A) © JP
mallard_dw_20190413.m4a caesia
(Poland)
Contact calls? (Pair in flight) © DW
mallard_jp_20200720.m4a caesia
(Portugal)
Alarm calls? © JP

More Mallard sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.