Ducks

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Ducks at the Sanctuary

Visit the National Geographic for more information on mallard ducks.

Mallard Ducks

Mallard Ducks are common in our area, and you’ll find quite a few in the Sanctuary. Mallards  live in throughout the Northern Hemisphere where ever there are wetlands.  The female mallard is called a hen, the male is called a drake, and the young ones are called ducklings.

Males are brightly colored, with a teal-green head, a white collar (a white ring around the next), and a bright yellow bill. Females are mottled or speckled brown with a brownish bill. When the females wings are open you can see a patch of darker feathers in a deep blue-black. Mallards are about 20-23 inches (51-59 cm) long.

Mallard ducks eat a variety of foods. They eat insects, worms, frogs, snails, slugs, small shellfish, grasses, and other plants that grow near shore.

Mallards build nests made of grass and leaves with a hollow in the center to hold the eggs; they are lined with duck down (delicate feathers, usually soft and white). Nests are most often on the ground in dense undergrowth. Females lay 5 or more greenish-white eggs in each clutch (a set of eggs laid at one time). The female of the pair cares for the young.

NOTE:

Here is a downloadable .pdf file with some really good information on the life cycle of  Mallard Ducks, written by Anna Goode