Observations by dcarvalhoo

Habitat & Geographic Range:
Mallards are commonly found near shallow bodies of water, as seen in the observation images. They are a wide-spread species, and can be found across North America, as well as Asia and Europe (“Mallard,” National Geographic, 2017).
It has been found that habitats surrounded by water (e.g. wetlands) provide optimal survival conditions for mallards (Simpson, 2007). In addition, index models conducted have determined that mallards also consider food availability when deciding to establish living grounds (Allen, 1986). Furthermore, these indexes suggest that infavourable habitat environments will result in migration, in search of more favourable living conditions (Allen, 1986).
In studies using stable isotopes on mallard feathers, evidence showed a dense distribution of mallards across North America, particularly across the central states of America, such as North Dakota and Minnesota (Szymanski, 2007). Further evidence for this dense distribution was found in previous studies, showing that majority of labelled mallards (i.e. sample of 271,129) that were re-captured originated from Western and midcontinent areas of North America (Alisauskas, 2014).

Size, Weight & Lifespan:
From observing a flush of mallards, one can estimate their average body size to be about an arm in length (i.e. about 50-56 cm long).
In terms of growth, studies conducted on recaptured mallards show that mallards have the highest rates of growth during first few months of life, and only reach a more stable weight as an adult (Giammarino, 2017), exhibiting a form of logarithmic growth. In sampling studies measuring mallard weights for the winter months, researchers obtained a mean weight of 1,239 g for males and 1,079 g for females (Delnicki, 1986).
On average, mallards have a lifespan ranging from 5 to 10 years (“Mallard,” National Geographic). However, several factors can alter this expected span, including diseases, diet, etc. In recent studies assessing molting (i.e. the shedding of feathers) of California-situated mallards, it was found that molting mallards had the highest rates of mortality (Fleskes, 2017), suggesting that molting may increase the susceptibility of contracting diseases in mallards. In addition, studies analyzing Aviary Influenza Virus in mallards located in Italy found that individuals with this virus died much earlier than expected (Giammarino, 2014), suggesting that this may be one of the many factors contributing to shorter lifespans in mallards.

Diet:
In studies conducted on male mallards in Southern Missouri, it was concluded that most mallards’ diets were largely influenced by food availability in their given habitat (Comb, 1996), which can possibly be said for the mallard species in general. In addition, habitat index models performed by Allen et. Al. (1986) suggest that a preferred diet for this species consists of agricultural grains and/or seeds, invertebrates, and leaves. In summary, mallards are said to be omnivorous species.

Reproduction & Communication:
In studies analyzing mallard reproductive techniques, it was stated that male mallards either use courting or forceful mating (Davis, 2002). In addition, in studies on female mate preferences in mallards, it was found that females chose their mates based on the intensity of their beak colour (Omland, 1996), possibly indicating diet quality.

Predation: Does the animal have any predators?
In studies analyzing effects of predator removal on survival of mallards, researchers chose to trap foxes, raccoons, coyotes, etc. (Pearse, 2004), indicating that these animals pose a threat to the survival of mallards, considering the procedure led to higher levels of mallard survival observed.

Conservation Status:
As suggested by the “National Geographic” website, although mallards are not endangered, their numbers are decreasing. Some major factors contributing to this phenomenon includes hunting and habitat loss. Studies on Nordic, specifically Finland mallards, has found that conservation of this species is improving in these countries, showing improved levels of reproduction among the species (Dalby, 2013), indicating that this current movement is moving in the right direction.

FUN FACT: Did You Know?
Mallards are a precocial species of birds. They are immediately able to swim once hatched, and they learn to fly in a relatively short period of time (i.e. by 50 days from time of hatching (Giammarino, 2017).