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Mallard
Scientific Name - Anas platyrhynchos
Identification Tips:
Length: 15-16 inches
Wingspan: 36 inches
Large dabbling duck
Blue speculum with white bar along both leading and
trailing edges
Silvery-white wing linings
Juvenile similar to adult female
In the southwestern United States the "Mexican
Duck", formerly a separate species, has both
sexes similar to the female Mallard
Adult male alternate:
Alternate plumage worn from fall through early
summer
Gray back
Yellow bill
Green head
White ring around neck
Chestnut breast
Gray flanks and upperwing coverts
Black undertail coverts contrast with white tail
Adult male basic:
Similar to adult female, but usually with chestnut
breast and an unmarked yellowish bill
Adult female:
Orange bill with black central patch
Pale brown face
Dark cap and eye line
Mottled brown and tan plumage
Similar species:
Adult male in alternate plumage is unmistakable. Females,
immature and eclipse-plumage males could be confused
with Black Ducks, Gadwalls and Mottled Ducks, but
note the blue speculum with white borders on both
sides. Gadwalls are also distinctive in their steeper
forehead, gray bill with orange edges and white belly
patch. Hybrid Mallard x Black Ducks are often seen
and are darker than Mallards, with a more purple speculum
bordered by white on one or both edges and usually
show some traces of the Mallard plumage.
Diet:
Almost Exclusively: Plant Matter
Lesser Quantities of: Aquatic Invertebrates
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