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Species Name: Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Length: 23 inches
Description: The familiar and widespread common duck of North America. Males have a bright metallic green head and neck, separated from a chestnut breast by a thin white ring. Back and flanks are pale buff to whitish. Rump is black with contrasting white tail feathers. Curled feathers at rump characteristic. The speculum is bright blue to purple, and bordered in white. Underwings are white. Bill is yellow to greenish-yellow.
Females are medium tan to brownish on the body and back with scalloped edges, with a buffy neck and head marked with a darker crown and eyeline. The bill is yellow-orange with dark splotchy center. Legs are bright orange.
Eclipse plumage males resemble females but lack the dark splotches on the bill.
The "Mexican" Mallard is a smaller, darker form that can be found in southern Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas, and was once considered a distinct species.
Range: Breeds throughout most of North America, from Alaska through Canada and the Lower 48 states (except Maine) into northern Mexico. Winters over most of the Lower 48 states except the Rocky Mountain region and around the Great Lakes. Similarly widespread in western Europe.
Behavior: A dabbling duck, found on most small ponds and lakes throughout range. Can even be found in small water features such as fountains in metro centers. Feeds by tipping; seldom dives. Springs into flight from water surface without need to run on surface. Mallards often form the core of ducks found in local parks, and are usually the first to take to hand feeding from visitors.
Related or Similar Species: Closely related to other Anas ducks including American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) and Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula). Frequently hybridizes with other ducks, especially Black Duck, and many Mallards found in local parks are hybrids of some form. Some authorities believe that these are three forms of a single species, while others fear that Mallards are in the process of displacing Black Ducks by interbreeding.
Identification: Males in typical plumage are easy to identify; only the male Northern Shoveler shows a similar mix of metallic green, chestnut, and pale buff. Separate the shoveler by the chestnut on the flanks and the distinctive large bill. Females, juveniles, and eclipse males are very similar to Black Duck - pay close attention to color patterns of the bill and the nature of the pale fringing on body feathers (more limited on Black Duck). Female Gadwalls can be mistaken for female Mallards if the white belly is not visible, but Gadwalls are smaller, have a different head shape, and the bill is darker with orange limited to the edges of the bill.
Advice on Finding and Photographing: Can be found on almost any pond or marsh in North America. Birds at local parks can be exceedingly tame and rush over expecting handouts. Photographing these birds can be very easy, but watch out for signs of hybridization, worn plumage, and other ducks in the frame. Birds away from such barren settings can make fro better images, where some vegetation can add a touch of habitat and make the birds seem more wild and natural. But such birds are often flighty. As with other ducks, keeping the camera low usually makes for better images. The metallic characteristics of the male's green head can be a problem, so pay attention to the way the light strikes these feathers or they can look purple or almost black at times.
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