Ecology Adventure

Mallard Duck research on the Little Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge by Zach.

I wanted to chose this bird because i have always seen it around before and never really know a lot about it.  And I also wanted to know what makes the males feathers that cool color. I don’t think I will see a lot of mallards at the refuge because there is not a lot of bodies of water that could support the mallard duck, but I look forward to find out some pretty cool stuff about this duck.

HABITAT

Mallards can be found in ponds, lakes, and marshes

BIRD SPOTTING

Male mallards have a green head which is set off by a white neck ring which allows the duck to be easily identified. The body is grayish brown and the speculum, which is the secondary feathers located on the back inner portion of the wing, are a metallic purplish blue color with a white border. The females mottled brown with a white tail and purplish blue speculum.

The color of the feathers is caused by one of two things. It is either a pigment in the feather, or the actual structure of the feather which causes different light refraction. in some cases it is actually a combination of both feather structure and pigment.

NESTING

Mallards nest are bowl shaped and made of grass. To protect their eight to 10 greenish-buff eggs the nests are hidden in marsh grass or on brush piles near the shore.

Behaviour

• The mallard is very gregarious, which means it is a very social bird and enjoys the company of the other birds.
• Mallards form pairs only until the female lies her eggs and then at that time  she is left by the male.
• It takes between 50 and 60 days for the eggs to hatch.
• The ducklings are precocial, which means they are very mature and mobile for the moment of birth.
• The ducklings can swim and feed themselves as soon as they hatch but they still stay by the female for protection.

FACTS

• The mallards scientific name is Anas platyrhynchos
• The mallard is the most abundant duck in the world
• Mallards enjoy the fruits of the shag-bark hickory
• They also eat the fallen acorns of the white oak which are swallowed whole.
• The female is actually called a duck and the male is called a drake.

Link to Mallard Duck page and duck calls

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