Mallard Duck
Scientific name : Anas platyrhynchos
The Mallard duck is one of the most recognisable birds in wetland habitats across the whole of the United Kingdom. Males can be distinguished by their unmistakable green head, yellow beak, purple-brown on their breast and a grey body (as seen above), while females have an orange beak with a mostly brown body. Mallards are the most common and widespread duck; they can be seen year-round in the UK. However, there are resident breeders or migrants with this species - some birds will stay in the UK to breed and be seen year-round, while others may breed in places like Iceland and northern Europe but come back to the UK for the winter.
Basic Facts
Length : 51-62cm
Wingspan : 81-98cm
Weight : 750-1500g
UK Breeding Pop : 61,000-146,000 pairs
UK Wintering Pop : 710,000 birds
Legal Status
Mallards and many other wild birds are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in Great Britain. Through this, it is an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take any wild birds, or damage, take or destroy any eggs from their nest.
Ducklings
After 28 days of incubation, ducklings begin to hatch from their eggs. Once hatched, they spend about the next 10 hours drying and getting used to their legs before their mother leads them to water. As soon as they reach water, ducklings are able to feed for themselves but they must learn what is edible. For the first few days, ducklings depend on their mother for warmth and her waterproof down, but within 50-60, they become independent and start taking flight.
Are Mallard Ducks important?
Yes, they are. It has been said that Mallards stick to a predictable daily routine. At night they go out foraging, where they visit different wetland habitats in search of food before returning to a communal roost where they rest and socialise during the day. As they forage and eat seeds in different areas, they help connect different islands of habitats through their droppings which would of otherwise been isolated. To you and I, we may not see these journeys but they are incredibly important in helping to maintain healthy plant communities in wetland habitats.
