Mottled Duck - Duck Hunting - Wetland Hunting
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Description
A mottled duck is relatively large, resembling a Mallard with a short neck, short tail, sturdy body, and moderately long bill. The males are about 50 to 57.2 cm in length, weigh 876 – 1241 g, and have 83.1 to 87.2 cm wingspan. On the other hand, females weigh 699 – 1151 g, have a wingspan of 80 – 83 cm, and are about 46 – 53 cm long.
Both sexes are brown and buff with a yellow bill and a black patch at the bill’s opening. While males have intensely yellow bills, females have greenish-yellow to orangeish bills with or without the dark markings.
Habitat
Their freshwater habitat wetlands include lakes, ponds, marshes, ditches, flooded fields, stormwater collection areas, sewage treatment plants, and impoundments.
Diet
The mottled ducks are omnivorous. Their diet comprises aquatic plants, insects, snails, grasses, and sometimes small fish. However, young ducklings usually feed on insects and other invertebrates. Their feeding behavior is through foraging in shallow water. These birds dabble with their bills just below the water surface. Sometimes, they can feed by up-ending. Although young ducklings frequently dive underwater to feed, adult ducks rarely do.
Nesting
Albeit breeding activity begins in January, pairs are formed in fall. The pairs may prospect for a nest site together by flying low over the marsh. Mostly, the nest site is in dense growth in prairie or marsh/wetland. However, these birds can build their nest in an agricultural field or canal bank. If dense clumps of grass support the nest, it can be several inches above the ground. However, the nest can be on a shallow bowl of reeds and grass lined with breast feathers.
Females lay 8 to 12 whitish to pale olive eggs and incubate them for 24 - 28 days. Females lead the ducklings to feeding sites, although the ducklings feed themselves. At about 50 days, the young can make short flights to escape danger. However, the young are capable of making sustained flights at 60 to 70 days.
