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page.Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
The mallard is one of the commonest and most widely distributed species of duck. It nests throughout Europe, where it is either resident or dispersive, or in northernmost areas a migrant to winter quarters in central and western Europe or the Mediterranean. Birds return to their nesting grounds in pairs at the end of February or in early March. The mallard inhabits still waters and sometimes rivers - even in towns. In courtship, the partners swim around each other, the male lowers his bill and ruffles his feathers, twitches his tail, nods his head, then plunges his bill into the water. The nesting site is selected by the drake but the nest itself is built by the duck. It is usually located on the ground, often some distance inland; also in trees, in nests abandoned by other birds and in holes. It is lined with leaves, plant stalks and small twigs and covered with a layer of down. Before leaving the nest, the duck carefully covers the eggs with down. There are usually nine to 13 eggs, which the female incubates alone for 22 to 26 days. When the ducklings' feathers have dried, she takes them out to the water. Mallard forage for food after dusk, feeding on various seeds, plant shoots and grass. They also collect food on the water's surface. The ducklings' diet consists largely of insects, but also crustaceans, molluscs and green plant parts.
Click on any of the other bird links, these are Geese Barnacle Goose : Brent Goose : Canada Goose : Greylag Goose
Or on the Ducks: Gadwall : Goldeneye : Goosander : Mallard : Pintail : Pochard : Red Breasted Merganser
Red Crested Pochard : Shellduck : Shoveler : Teal : Tufted Duck : Wigeon
And the rest, in no real order of importance: Common Sandpiper : Coot. : Corncrake : Curlew. : Dunlin : Greenshank : Lapwing : Moorhen : Oystercatcher : Redshank : Ringed Plover : Snipe : Spotted Crake : Stone Curlew : Turnstone : Whimbrel : Woodcock.
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