Mallard Duck

Facts about Mallard Ducks. Both male and female Mallard Ducks have different opalescent purple blue color speculum feathers and white color borders. More prominent when during flight or resting, though for a short time, its drop during the yearly summer molting. After hatching, the Mallard ducklings have yellow color plumage on the underside and face, with black color on the rear and lines by the eyes, with some yellow color spots, all the way to the back and top of the head

The Mallard Duck is an average-sized waterfowl variety and it somewhat heavier than other dabbling ducks. The length of the body of the Mallard Duck breed ranges from 20 inches to 26 inches (50 cm to 65 cm), with the wingspan, ranging from 32 inches to 39 inches (81 cm to 98 cm), with the body weight between 1.6 lbs and 3.5 lbs (0.72 kg and 1.58 kg). The average measurements of the wing chord of the Mallard Duck measures from 10 1/8 inches to 12 inches (25.7 cm to 30.6 cm) and the average bill size is from 1 3/4 inches to 2 3/8 inches (4.4 cm to 6.1 cm).

The male Mallard Ducks beautiful shiny green head and a grey colored belly and wings. The female Mallard Duck mostly have a brown-stained plumage, not as eye catching as the male in looks. The breeding male Mallard Duck is instantly recognizable, with a white collar that separates the head from its purple-shaded brown breast and a light grey belly and grey brown wings. It's back is black in color, with a dark colored tail that has white color borders. The bill of the male Mallard Duck is yellowish orange with black color tips and the bill of the female Mallard Duck is usually darker, varying from black to spotted orange. The female Mallard Duck is mostly mottled with each individual feather, demonstrating sharp distinction from buff to extremely dark brown, a tinge shared by nearly all female dabbling ducks. The female Mallard Duck has buff neck, eyebrow, cheeks and throat with a darker top and eye-stripe.
The Mallard Duck is said to be the most ample duck on earth. Chances are if your at a park and feeding the ducks, one of them will be a Mallard Duck

Water-proof feathers of Mallard ducks

A special feature that the Mallard Duck has is its water-proof feathers, even when the Mallard Duck dives underwater, its downy under-layer of feathers will stay totally 100% dry. There is a special gland called the "Preen Gland" also called Oil Gland or Uropygial, that produces oil that is near the Mallard Duck tail which covers and spreads the outer coat of the Mallard Duck feathers, which makes the duck water-proof.

Breeding of Mallard ducks

Usually, the breeding season for Mallard ducks starts during October and November only pending the female duck lays eggs at the beginning of the nesting season that is around the commencement of spring. At this time, the female Mallard Duck that is left by the male duck will wait for the molting period that starts during June. However, during the short time earlier than this, the male Mallard Ducks are still sexually strong and some of them either continue on standby to sire substitute clutches or mate with female ducks by force that appear to be unattached or isolated, irrespective of their species and whether or not they contain a brood of ducklings.

The average lifespan of the Mallard Duck ranges from 5 years to 10 years in the wild, whereas in the captive, they can live up to 18 years.

Diet of Mallard ducks

Mallards Duck are omnivores, (definition-they eat both other animals and plants). The Mallard Duck is a gregarious eater and it mostly feeds on gastropods, invertebrates, as well as flies, beetles, lepidopterans, caddis flies and dragonflies, worms, crustaceans, several varieties of plant matter and seeds, and tubers and roots.

"Scientific name for Mallard duck Anas Platyrhynchos" meaning - Wild dabbling duck from which domestic ducks are descended; widely distributed. From New Latin "anas" meaning (Duck) and the word Platyrhynchos comes from "platyrrhine", Ancient Greek meaning (broad snouted, flat-bridged nose). The "Mallard Duck" breeds all through the subtropical and temperate Americas, Asia, Europe, and North Africa. The Mallard Duck is also commonly called as the Wild Duck, and it has been introduced to Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, South Africa and the Falkland Islands. Mallard Ducks prefer to live in wetlands, and they are the ancestors of most of the domestic duck breeds.

A Mallard Duck is a Precocial (meaning) Born or hatched with the eyes open, a covering of hair or down, capable of a high degree of independent activity from birth and able to leave the nest just a few hours after hatching.
A male adult Mallard Duck is called a (drake) and an adult female Mallard Duck is called a (hen). A young baby Mallard is called a (duckling). A group of ducks is called a brace, raft, team, flock, or paddling. The female (hen) are usually a plain colored brown for hiding purposes to be camouflaged from their enemies when they are sitting in their nests.
In the wild he male Mallard Duck will guard their nest by chasing away other ducks. Once the female lays 5 to 10 eggs, she will start to sit on her eggs to keep them warm so that they can hatch into baby ducklings. The eggs will hatch on average within 26 to 28 days. Baby ducklings are able to fly within 5 to 8 weeks.
Mallard Duck will lay more eggs, when there is more daylight, that's why in captivity farmers will keep the lights on in the ducks house for longer periods of time.

Mallard Duck fly in a “V” shape to makes flying easier.
underneath the water-proof coat are downy soft fluffy feathers which keep the Mallard Ducks body warm. Mallard Ducks keep clean by being able to turn their heads completely backwards, and put their beaks into their feathers by preening themselves.

Features of the Mallard Ducks Bill

A "bill" is what is call a Mallard Ducks mouth. There are no teeth in the ducks bill, they have rows of thin bristles, which helps them to filter pieces of nutrition out of the water. Mallard Ducks swallow there food whole and it goes to an organ called a gizzard, were the food is first ground up and than moves on to the stomach. The different bill shapes and sizes for finding food, has over time mutated to fit each environment. The Mallard Duck bill is flat and broad and has rows of fine incision along the outer edge called "lamellae". meaning a thin membrane, plate, scale or layer, as of cell wall or bone tissue. The larnellae helps the Mallard Duck to clutch food for feeding.

Features about Mallard Duck egg

A Mallard Duck egg has twice the nutritional value than a chicken egg and will stay fresh longer because of their thicker shell.
Mallard Duck eggs are richer with more Albumen "the white of an egg" making pastries and cakes richer and fluffier. A Mallard Duck Egg has more Omega 3 fatty acids than a chicken egg. Omega 3 is thought to improve skin health, memory and Brain health. Mallard Duck Eggs are an Alkaline producing food and a Chicken egg is an acid food and leaves your body more acid. Mallard Duck eggs are high in Cholesterol. Mallard Duck eggs have 6 times the Vitamin D and 2 times the Vitamin A than a chicken egg. Mallard Duck eggs have 2 times the cholesterol than a chicken egg.

Features of the Mallard Ducks Feet

Mallard Ducks have webbed feet, that makes them act like paddles, designed for swimming. They push their webbed paddle feet back in a kicking motion, this allows the Mallard Duck to move swift through the water and when the feet come back, they close for less water resistance. The duck's paddle feet do not feel cold, even when it swims in cold icy water. The webbed feet makes a Mallard Duck waddle instead of walk. The Mallard Ducks feet have capillaries which help blood flow to their feet. The warm blood flow down the leg and creates a heat exchange system. When the blood flows down the leg, it meets the cold blood and is warmed up to keep the Mallard Ducks feet warm. Mallard Ducks feet are thin because they contain soft tissue and few muscles.

Mallard Ducks see in color with very good vision and can see well underwater. Mallard Ducks have three eyelids the third eyelid called nictitating membrane. They have a top and bottom as well as a third eyelid that is found on the side of the eye. The Mallard Ducks eyelid blinking acts as a windshield wiper to clear the eye. This helps to see when diving under water can also help the eye from drying out while flying. This is an act of constantly cleaning and keeping the eye moist.