Mallard

The most abundant and well-known species of duck, the Mallard is a breed commonly seen across the globe, namely in America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and Australia. First thought to be domesticated prior to 500 B.C., they are believed to have been the parent stock to all domestic ducks, excluding Muscovies.

Description
Elegant and streamlined, authentic Mallards have trim, teardrop-shaped bodies, slender, telescoping necks, aerodynamic heads, and horizontal body carriage. A distinctive characteristic of the breed is a long, slim bill. Mallards are also a noisy species- the male has a nasally call whilst the female boasts a loud "quack".

Drakes in breeding season display a beetle-green head, gray/brown plumage, and bright yellow-orange bill. Out of season, drakes closely resemble ducks in plumage.

Ducks have light brown plumage with a mottled feather pattern.

Varieties

 * Snowy
 * White
 * Golden
 * Pastel
 * Blue Fawn

Mallards in the Wild
Wild Mallards inhabit wetland-like areas, such as ponds, rivers, and parks. They feed by dabbling for underwater plants/insects and grazing on grassy locations. Wild Mallards are also highly gregarious post-breeding season and often form large flocks known as sords.

See the wikipedia article for more information.