Skip to content
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Tiktok
  • Found a Bird?
  • Contact
  • Newsroom
  • Success Stories
  • Report a Spill
  • Volunteer Login
International Bird Rescue
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • History
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Our Wildlife Centers
    • Remember
  • Our Work
    • Conservation & Education
    • Oil Spill Response and Preparedness
    • Why Rehabilitate Oiled Birds? 
    • Research and Innovation
    • FAQs
    • Newsletters & Reports
  • Get Involved
    • Visit Our Store
    • Bird Adoptions, Seabird Circle and More
    • Workplace Giving
    • Planned Giving
    • Corporate and Community Partners
    • Volunteering & Internships
    • Employment
  • BirdCams
  • Blog
  • Donate
Home | Conservation & Education | Education Program | Meet the Birds | Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Mallard Duck. Photo by Angie Trumbo
Mallard Duck
Mallard Duck with Duckling. Photo by Jaclyn Kurtz
Mallard Ducklings
Mallard Male. Photo by Sushanta Bhandarkar
Mallard on a dock. Photo by Jaclyn Kurtz
previous arrow
next arrow
Mallard Duck
Mallard Duck with Duckling. Photo by Jaclyn Kurtz
Mallard Ducklings
Mallard Male. Photo by Sushanta Bhandarkar
Mallard on a dock. Photo by Jaclyn Kurtz
previous arrow
next arrow

Species Facts

Conservation Status: IUCN Least Concern

Description:  Adult male Mallards are unmistakable with their iridescent green heads, yellow bills, brown chests, and gray/brown bodies. The females are mottled brown and can be a little harder to distinguish from other duck species. Mallard ducklings will have a clear brown eye line going across their faces.

Play Mallard call:

https://www.birdrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/XC684192-Mallard-Andrew-Harrop.mp3

Where to find them: A better question might be “Where can’t you find them?” These ducks are common across their natural Northern Hemishphere range throughout the United States and Europe, as well as places they have been introduced in parts of Asia, Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. If there is water, you are likely to find Mallards nearby.

Fun Facts:

  • Mallards can fly at an estimated speed of 55 miles per hour! (1)
  • The oldest recorded Mallard was 27 years old (2)
  • Mallards are the #1 species we care for each year, with orphaned or kidnapped ducklings making up the bulk of those numbers.

Threats: Pets, car collisions, kidnapping, pathogens, contamination, habituation, lead poisoning

How YOU can Help: Don’t feed ducks at the park. It may seem like a nice thing to do, but can lead to health issues and habituation.

“Ducklings stole my heart many years ago. My favorite time of volunteer season at Bird Rescue has always been baby season because of my passion for ducklings. They grow fast and develop their unique personality and character. ” - Donna Callison, Volunteer

(1) (2) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/overview

Audio clip from www.xeno-canto.com Recorded by Andrew Harrop XC684192

Additional photography courtesy of Jacklyn Kurtz and Sushanta Bhandarkar

About

  • Who We Are
  • History
  • Our Team
  • Our Bird Rescue Centers

Our Work

  • Oil Spill Response
  • FAQs
  • Bird Rehabilitation
  • Research and Innovation

Contact

  • Contact
  • Found a Bird?
  • Reporting a Banded Bird
  • Report a Spill

Get Involved

  • Donate
  • Become a Member
  • Bird Adoptions
  • Volunteering/Internships

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Tiktok
© 2011-2023 International Bird Rescue. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Site Map
International Bird Rescue is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
  • Home
  • Donate
  • Found a Bird?
    • Helping a Debilitated Bird
    • Reporting a Banded Bird
  • Report a Spill
  • Blog
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • History
      • Founder’s Story
      • Timeline
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Our Wildlife Centers
      • Alaska Wildlife Response Center
    • Remember
  • BirdCams
  • Our Work
    • Aquatic Bird Rehabilitation
      • Why Rehabilitate Oiled Birds? 
      • Our Process for Helping Oiled Birds
    • Oil Spill Response and Preparedness
      • Services Offered
      • Become a Retainer Holder
      • History of Response
    • Research and Innovation
      • Published Scientific Papers
      • Birds in Focus
      • How Oil Affects Birds
      • How Plastics Affect Birds
      • FAQs
      • Banding Program
  • Conservation & Education
    • Education Program
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Bird Adoptions, Seabird Circle and More
      • Adopt a Bird
    • Giving Circles, Pelican Partner
    • Donor Circles
    • Workplace Giving
    • Planned Giving
    • Corporate and Community Partners
      • Partnership Opportunities
    • Volunteering & Internships
      • Volunteer Orientations
      • Rehabilitation Internship Program
      • Veterinary Internship
    • Employment
    • Newsroom
      • Media Contact
      • Media Resources
      • Photo Library
  • Contact
  • Success Stories
    • Pelicans in Peril
    • Saving 20,000 Penguins
    • Oiled Ducks and Geese Saved
    • Galapagos Islands
    • Munch: The Return of a Unique Bird 
    • Albatross Mania
  • Volunteer Login
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Videos
  • Instagram
  • TikTok