Mallard

To British ears of a certain age (50+ that is), the name “Mallard” will always mean the A4 class steam railway locomotive that, at 126 miles per hour, broke the world speed record for steam in 1938, and still holds it to this day.

However, the association between a streamlined loco, built for speed, and a bulky dabbling duck seems strange, until one realises that the whole class of steam engines was named after birds, and the record breaker could just as easily have been “Sparrow Hawk”, “Golden Eagle” or “Kestrel”!

Even so, that is slightly unfair to the mallard duck, which is one of the fastest ducks in flight, and whose plumage (I refer to the males here) is every bit as impressive as the livery of the A4 in its prime.

Mallards are common in the Northern Hemisphere, and have been introduced to Australia and other Southern Hemisphere countries. They are resident throughout the year across the whole of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and in most of the United States, but in other countries they are often migratory, returning each year to the same place to breed.

Mallards live on rivers, canals and lakes and are a familiar sight on village ponds and town boating lakes and ornamental water features. They also inhabit salt or brackish coastal wetlands, where they are traditional targets for hunters.

Appearance

The mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is about 23 inches long (58 cm). Its wingspan is about 35 inches (90 cm). Average weight is about 40 ounces (1200 gm).

The male mallard is one of the most easily recognized and distinctive birds on the water, with its metallic green head that reflects the light as it moves, especially when wet. The body is mostly grey, but with a brown chest. A thin white band on the neck separates the green of the head from the brown of the chest. Other features are a yellow to olive bill, black tail feathers, orange-red legs, and an iridescent purple-blue speculum patch on the wings.

The female is much less impressive in appearance, with a brownish-grey head and mottled brown body. Her bill is a darker colour than is the male’s, although she also has a dark blue speculum on her wings.

Behaviour

Mallards are gregarious birds, and are often found in mixed groups, or of males only. They are only territorial during the breeding season, and, after the eggs are hatched, the males tend to leave the females to get on with the business of raising the ducklings. The males also lose their striking appearance as they moult, and do not fully regain it until the next breeding season. The moult of wing feathers may also make them flightless for a time.

Mallards live on vegetation and invertebrates, including insects, spiders, worms and gastropods (slugs and snails). In populated areas, they tolerate people very well and are happy to take bread and other scraps when offered.

They do not usually dive for food, but dabble, with their tails in the air and bills under the surface. They are happy both on the land and in the water, and can take off from the water surface with no difficulty.

The familiar “quack” that every child associates with the word “duck” is used by females to call her ducklings to her, and is often heard as a series of calls, almost like a laugh, that gets progressively quieter. Male mallards make much weaker noises that are more like grunts and whistles than quacks.

Breeding

Nest sites are often a long way from water, with mallards looking for safe places away from predators. The clutch is around nine to twelve eggs, laid between March and July, depending on location. Eggs are usually laid one a day, but incubation does not start until all have been laid, so that they all hatch at the same time. Incubation is only done by the female, and takes around 28 days. When the hen leaves the nest to feed she hides the eggs from sight by covering them with downy feathers from her belly.

The ducklings, which are brown and yellow, are led by the mother to water, and this is often a long and hazardous journey, during which the mother will do everything she can to protect her brood. They will not return to the nest, but stay close to their mother for about 10 weeks, both on the water and ashore, after which they must fend for themselves.

The large broods are essential for the survival of mallards, for they have many natural predators. In the UK, these include foxes, mink, domestic and feral cats, and, under the surface, pike.

The only real threat to mallard populations is loss of habitat, but they have proved adaptable to urban life in many places. The policy in the UK of allowing some low-lying areas to revert to wetland (as opposed to maintaining expensive coastal defences) will create new sites for mallards and other water birds.

© John Welford