Key information
The mallard is a large and heavy looking duck. It has a long body, and a long and broad bill. The male has a dark green head, a yellow bill, is mainly purple-brown on the breast and grey on the body. The female is mainly brown with an orange bill.
Mallards breed in all parts of the UK in summer and winter, wherever there are suitable wetland habitats, although it is scarcer in upland areas. In the UK, mallards may be resident breeders or migrants - many of the birds that breed in Iceland and northern Europe spend the winter here.
What they eat:
Seeds, acorns and berries, plants, insects and shellfish.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 51- 62 cm
- Wingspan:
- 81-98 cm
- Weight:
- 750-1500 g
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 61,000-146,000 pairs
- UK wintering:
- 710,000 birds
Identifying features:
This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.
Mallard (male)
Mallard (female)
