Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Also called wild duck, greenhead.
The ancestor of nearly every domestic duck, which is why park ducks are so variable. The blue speculum bordered with white on both edges is present on every mallard regardless of how odd the rest looks.
- Size
- Crow to duck — 50–65 cm
- Bill
- Flat and broad
- Where
- water, marsh, city
- Season
- year round
What it looks like
The male has a glossy green head, a white neck ring, a chestnut chest and a grey body with a curled black tail feather. The female is mottled brown with an orange-and-black bill.
The checks that confirm it
- A blue-purple speculum on the wing, bordered with white in front and behind. Present on both sexes and on hybrids.
- Male: green head, white collar, chestnut breast, curled black tail feathers.
- Female: mottled brown with an orange bill blotched with black.
- Dabbles and tips forward; it does not dive.
Voice
The classic loud descending quack is the female. Males give a quieter rasping call.
Attracting it
Do not feed bread. Cracked corn, oats and peas are far better if you feed at all.
Confused with
Much darker overall with a violet speculum lacking white borders and paler wing linings that flash in flight.
A huge spatulate bill far longer than the head is deep.
Questions about this bird
How do you identify a mallard?
A blue-purple speculum on the wing, bordered with white in front and behind. Present on both sexes and on hybrids. Male: green head, white collar, chestnut breast, curled black tail feathers.
What does a mallard sound like?
The classic loud descending quack is the female. Males give a quieter rasping call.
How do you attract a mallard?
Do not feed bread. Cracked corn, oats and peas are far better if you feed at all.