Mallard -- South Dakota Birds

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Probably the most familiar duck to most, and well-adapted to living around human activity.  Many semi-domesticated Mallards have learned to live on handouts around city parks and ponds.  The Mallard is the ancestor of many domestic ducks.  A male is shown in the photo to the right.  Additional photos (including females) can be found at the bottom of the page.

Habitat: Marshes, woody swamps, lakes, ponds, rivers, city parks.  Occurs on nearly any kind of freshwater habitat. 

Diet: Primarily plant material, such as grasses, pond weeds, grasses, sedges, seeds, grain, and roots.  Also will eat insects, small fish, earthworms, frogs, tadpoles, and snails.

Nesting: Mid-April through August.

Breeding map: Breeding bird survey map

Song: Surprisingly, a quack-quack-quack.

Migrations: Spring migration in March, will remain in the fall and winter as long as open water and food are available.  

Feeders: Will feed on corn or grain scattered on the ground.

Similar Species: American Black Duck.  Females are very similar to many female ducks

Further Information: 1) USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Mallard

2) Cornell University's "All About Birds - Mallard"

3) eNature.com: Mallard

Photo Information: November 17th, 2002 -- Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls -- Terry L. Sohl

Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or text links below for additional, higher-resolution Mallard photos.

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Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl

This page was last edited on 02/03/08