Life List 027
Visually documented
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
- First photographed
- January 29, 2026
- First location
- Colorado, United States
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
An evolving study
Mallard portfolio
This collection grows as I return to photograph new behavior, habitat, seasons, and stages of life.
Natural history
Species at a glance
Anas platyrhynchos
Overview
The Mallard is a highly adaptable dabbling duck and the wild ancestor of most domestic duck breeds. It thrives in habitats ranging from remote wetlands to urban ponds and often feeds by tipping forward in shallow water.
Identification
Breeding males show a glossy green head, narrow white neck ring, chestnut breast, gray body, and curled black tail feathers. Females are mottled brown with an orange-and-black bill; both sexes show an iridescent blue wing patch bordered in white.
Range
Native across much of the Northern Hemisphere and widespread in North America. Many northern birds migrate south, while birds in mild regions may remain year-round; introduced populations occur elsewhere in the world.
Habitat
Nearly any shallow freshwater or brackish wetland, including marshes, ponds, lakes, rivers, reservoirs, city parks, and agricultural fields.
Diet
Seeds, aquatic vegetation, grain, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and other small aquatic animals.
Photography by Brittany Templin
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