Mallard Duck Overview
The mallard duck is one of the most familiar ducks in the world. It is common throughout temperate and subtropical regions of North America and Eurasia, and in Hawaii it may be seen in wetland areas and urban park ponds.
Adult males are easy to recognize by their shimmering green or blue head. Females are light brown and mottled, which helps them blend into grasses, reeds and pond edges. Mallards feed on water plants and often stay close to calm water where food is easy to reach.
Habitat and Markings
Mallards use many kinds of wetlands, including ponds, marshes and protected freshwater areas. Their comfort around people also makes them one of the ducks visitors may notice in park settings, especially where open water and feeding areas sit close together.
In the Hawaii bird guide, mallards fit with other duck and waterfowl pages such as the cinnamon teal, long-tailed duck and common goldeneye. For native wetland birds, compare the Hawaiian stilt and Hawaiian moorhen.
