Mallard Duck - Duck Hunting - Wetland Hunting

View Recipes | Gamebird Services | Gamebird Hunts | View Photos

Mallard Duck

 

Description

Mallards are common ducks especially in the Northern Hemisphere. You can easily identify these waterfowls especially males by looking at their heads and beaks. The male and female Mallard ducks have different colorations to distinguish them. Male Mallards (also known as drakes) have bright green heads, their chests are dark brown, yellow beaks and their bodies are cream-colored. On the other hand, the female Mallard ducks (also known as hens or ducks) have modest coloration. Their entire bodies are light brown with a dark brown mottling that runs from the neck downwards.

Distribution

If you go duck hunting, it's important to know where you can find Mallard ducks. Mallard ducks are considered to be the most abundant & wide-ranging duck on the face of the earth. They are mainly found in the Northern Hemisphere (from Alaska to Mexico), Eurasia, Japan, South Korea, the Hawaiian Islands and some parts of Australia.

Habitat

Mallards can adapt to a wide range of habitats especially permanent wetlands. Some of the habitats where you can find Mallards include beaver ponds, city parks, marshes, farms, estuaries, lakes, reservoirs, bogs, riverine floodplains, and ponds. You can also find Mallards in ephemeral wetlands and prairie potholes. At times you can find these ducks feeding in rice fields, pastures, croplands, and even roadside ditches.

Diet

Mallards are omnivores and hence their diet is vast ranging from vegetation to small invertebrates. Normally, Mallards feed on seeds, beetles, roots, plant matter, slugs, snails, shrimps, and worms. It is important to note that the amount of invertebrates or vegetation Mallards eat is mainly determined by their nutritional needs. Also, Mallards do not dive while foraging but dabble and tip forward in the water to feed.

During the breeding season, Mallards mainly eat animal matter including aquatic insect larvae, snails, earthworms and freshwater shrimps. However, when migrating, Mallards mainly feed on agricultural seed and grain.

Reproduction

The mated pairs migrate and breed in the northern part of their range to search or build a nest. After migration, they build a nest on the ground or in a protected cavity and the females lay about a dozen eggs. The incubation period is under a month with both the males and the females being involved during the incubation period. However, as the incubation period comes to an end, male Mallards abandon the nest to join other males. Finally, these game birds grow to about 26 inches (length) and can weigh about 3 pounds.


Buy Gamebirds


Gamebird Hunts

PRAIRIE FIRE POINTERS

PRETTY PRAIRIE, KS

Breeds : American Brittany, British Labrador Retriever, English Pointer, English Setter, German Shorthaired Pointer, Labrador Retriever, Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
Servies : Boarding, Dog Transport, Gamebirds, Guided Hunts, Handler, Hunting Preserves, Kennel / Breeder, Trainer
Gamebirds : Northern Bobwhite Quail, Ring necked pheasant

[ Details ]

Account Login


Email Address



-

* Recover Password
* Create a FREE account