The Mallard is no doubt the most widely recognized duck in the United States. He decoys readily and responds to a call better than any other duck. It is said the male Mallard is more intelligent than the female Mallard (don't let my wife hear that) and their diet is varied and easy to control through the use of feed. A fact that has been used to take advantage of him illegally. A surface feeder.

Body:

Weight:
Adult Male: 30 to 55 ounces
Adult Female: 26 to 46 ounces

Adult Male: The males has a deep green head, a white neck ring and a brown chest. The body is gray above, light brown below, and rear-end is black with a white tail. The bill is solid yellow.

Adult Female: Body plumage is brown and light brown. The crown is dark and sides of the head and neck are beige or light brown. The female has a yellow bill which is spotted or painted with olive gray.

Wing Span:
Adult Male: 11 to 12 inches
Adult Female: 10 to 11.25 inches

Adult Male: The speculum is deep blue and bordered with narrow bands of black and white.

Adult Female: The top of the wings are dark brown with a deep blue speculum bordered with narrow bands of black and white.

Habitat:
Lakes, ponds, rivers, sheltered coasts. Very adaptable and often found in urban areas including yards and parks.

Range:
Breeding: Across grasslands and forest zones of North America.
Wintering: Northern United States birds largely sedentary. Canadian birds migrate to the southern United States
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