Mallard

• It is the wild ancestor of almost every domestic duck breed in the world.
• It can swim the day it hatches, led to the water by its mother.
• Its readiness to hybridise with other ducks is a worry because of the genetic dilution of related species.
• comportamientoSleeping at the edge of a group, it can keep one eye open and half its brain awake to watch for predators.
• anatomíaThe feathers on its head throw off an iridescent green that shifts with the angle of the light — an optical effect rather than a pigment.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)

Habitat and environment

Marshes, lakes, rivers, ponds and wetlands of the temperate and subtropical Northern Hemisphere; introduced in the Southern Hemisphere

Birth weight

~32.4 grams at hatching (34% less than the weight of the fresh egg)

Size at birth

Precocial: able to swim the day it hatches, led to the water by its mother

Sexual maturity

1 year

Gestation / incubation

26-28 days

Litter / clutch size

8 to 13 eggs per clutch

Life expectancy in captivity

Documented ringing record of over 27 years

Sources consulted: NHPBS NatureWorks · USDA Forest Service · A-Z Animals · U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service · AnAge (genomics.senescence.info) · USGS (duckling weight study)