20-6-2019 CAMI LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - MALLARD (JUVENILE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

Mallards are adaptable, medium-sized ducks found in wetlands across the Northern Hemisphere. Males have a distinctive green head and white neck ring, while females are mottled brown, but both share a purplish-blue wing patch called a speculum. They are omnivorous, eating a wide range of foods like seeds, aquatic plants, and insects, and most mallards are migratory, with ducklings able to swim and forage shortly after hatching. 

Appearance and identification

Male (Drake): Glossy green head, white neck collar, and a reddish-brown chest.

Female (Hen): Mottled brown plumage for camouflage.

Both sexes: Have a purple-blue speculum (wing patch) with white borders.

Other features: Yellow or orange bills and feet.

Diet and behavior

Diet: Omnivorous, eating seeds, acorns, berries, aquatic plants, insects, and shellfish.

Foraging: They are dabbling ducks, meaning they skim the water's surface to feed, especially in shallow water.

Social: They are highly social and often form large flocks.

Vocalization: Females produce the loud "quack" sound, while males make a lower-pitched call. 

Reproduction and lifecycle

Pairing: Form pairs in the fall and winter.

Nesting: Females build a nest in a depression on the ground, lining it with grasses and down.

Eggs: Lay between 5 and 15 eggs, which she incubates for 26 to 30 days.

Ducklings: Can run, swim, and forage within a day of hatching.

Lifespan: Average lifespan is around 3-5 years, but some can live much longer, with the oldest known mallard reaching 27 years.