Winter 2003

The drake mallard, (Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos) is the most sought after species of waterfowl in Mississippi. No other species so quickly comes to mind when waterfowlers take to flooded rice fields and cypress brakes during Mississippi's waterfowl season.

The mallard has the most extensive breeding range of any duck. During February and March, mallards are leaving their wintering grounds and begin the migration to the nesting grounds. Mallards usually reach their nesting grounds around April and May, depending on how far north they nest.

As large flocks arrive at the larger water areas of the breeding grounds, they begin to break up as pairs disperse to potholes and other small water areas. Within a few days of selecting a particular pothole the pair selects a nest site. The hen forms a nest bowl or scrape in old plant litter or moist earth. The area is usually 7 to 8 inches in diameter and 1 to 2 inches deep. The hen lays one egg a day and adds down to the nest until the clutch is complete. Mallards lay an average of 9 eggs per clutch. Incubation lasts around 26 to 30 days.

Nest failure can be a significant problem and predation is the largest contributor to nesting failure. Skunks, raccoons, red fox, crows and magpies are all principle destroyers of mallard nests.

Adult drake mallards, or "greenheads" as they are aptly named, have a glossy green head, a yellow bill and a white neck-ring which separates the green head from the chestnut-brown breast. The sides are gray, with the back being darker in color. The tail consists of a white section sandwiched between two black sections. The wing spectrum of the drake is an iridescent violet-blue which is bordered by a pronounced white stripe at the front and back. The legs and feet of adult males are a bright coral-red color.

The hen mallard or "susie", as is common with most waterfowl species, is mottled brown in color, usually being darker on the upper body and lighter on the lower body. The bill is usually orange in color and the legs and feet are a dull orange.

The mallard is the most vocal of all commonly hunted waterfowl species. Though drakes are rather quiet, the hen has a variety of quacks that set the standard of comparison with other species, and for hunters attempting to call ducks.

In flight, the broad wings and a short tail create the impression that the wings are set far back on the body. The wing beat is slower than that of any other duck. Flocks are usually well formed and tend to be larger than those of other ducks, sometimes containing several hundred ducks.

Mallards are the most numerous and widely distributed ducks in Mississippi and the Northern Hemisphere. They range throughout the United States but are most common in the Mississippi and Central flyways.

Mallards are dabbling ducks or what are commonly referred to as puddle ducks. They frequent shallow waters rather than deep lakes or bays. Lowland areas covered with a foot or two of water provide prime habitat for mallards. Sloughs, shallow impoundments and agricultural fields are among the many sites frequented by mallards in Mississippi.

Like other dabbling ducks, mallards feed by tipping up rather than diving. Mallards feed on a variety of foods. Natural foods such as wild millet, smartweed, a variety of grasses and other plants. Mallards also feed on waste grains such as rice, corn, soybeans and sorghum.

This article was written by Rob Ballinger, Field Biologist with the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation.