Male Mallard in breeding plumage standing at the water's edge.

Male Mallard in breeding plumage beside water.

Creator: Acarpentier

Licence: CC BY 3.0

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Species record

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Explore the Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

Mallards use wetlands across much of the Northern Hemisphere, from marshes and ponds to river floodplains and estuaries. They feed at the surface or dabble head-down in shallow water, taking aquatic plants, seeds, and small animals. Introduced breeding populations occur in places including Australia and New Zealand, and the species is also recorded in the Falkland Islands.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Chordates
  3. Subphylum: Vertebrates
  4. Class: Birds
  5. Order: Anseriformes
  6. Family: Anatidae
  7. Genus: Anas

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
freshwater wetlands, marshes, lakes and ponds, river floodplains, estuaries, reservoirs and other artificial wetlands
Selected regions
Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Did you know?

  • A Mallard can feed without diving by tipping forward in the water, with its tail sticking up above the surface.

Sources and attribution