Mallards
Anas platyrhynchos
Mallard drakes on Greenwood Lake in New York
Photo courtesy of Lou Gonzales-McLean
The wild Mallard is the ancestor of all of our domestic ducks with the exception of the Muscovy.
If you find a Mallard's nest on your property and don't see the mother on the eggs, don't necessarily worry. Ducks lay an egg every day or two until they have a full clutch (usually 8 to 15); only then will the mother start to sit on them. It takes the eggs 28 days to hatch from when she starts sitting all the time. When they hatch, she will soon lead them to a nearby body of water. The father takes no part in caring for the eggs or young.
Mallard Links:
Stephens Poultry Unlimited has a page on Mallards
Nest structures for Mallards
Mallard Ducks from Jan's Ornamental Waterfowl
The Story of Robert: The Central Park Duck
A wild Mallard drake
Photo courtesy of Beth Upton
A wild Mallard hen
Photo courtesy of Beth Upton
Mallard hen with 2 ducklings
Photo courtesy of Justin Kalvoda
Young Mallard females
Photo courtesy of Cody Everett
Another Mallard drake
Photo courtesy of Julie Hendricks
A Mallard hen on a new brood
Photo courtesy of Jim Kavanagh
A pair of Snowy Mallards, one of the domestic
varieties
Photo courtesy of Josh Hoffman
White Mallards, another domestic variety
Photos courtesy of Stephanie Kuhn
A Reserve Champion Mallard hen
Photo courtesy of Cody Everett
One-week-old wild Mallards, including a natural sport
Photo courtesy of Scott Wong
Two pictures of the above brood at 8 weeks
Photos courtesy of Scott Wong
The head of a Mallard drake
Photo courtesy of Baudewyn Meersseman
Mallards -- incoming!
Photo courtesy of Tommy Green
Hybrids
A Ruddy Shelduck X Mallard hybrid Mallard ducklings More Mallard ducklings Three-day-old Mallards A four-day-old Mallard duckling
or
Direct questions and comments to Barry at FeatherSite -- questions and comments
Photo courtesy of Dirk Fussbahn
Photo courtesy of Patricia A. Sheley
Photo courtesy of Robin Dickmann
Photo courtesy of Justin Williams
Photo courtesy of Scott Wong
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