The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is a medium-sized dabbling duck in the Anatidae family. It is a water bird, living in wetlands.
The male is called a drake, and the female is called a duck. The babies are called ducklings.
The male Mallard has a glossy green head, white collar, grey on its wings, and grey on its belly. The female has mainly brown speckled feathers. The male has a yellow-orange beak, tipped with black, and the female has a darker beak.
The female lays 8-13 creamy-white to greenish eggs, which take about 28 days to hatch. The ducklings are precocial, which means that they are born with some feathers and can swim soon after hatching.
The Mallard ducklings have fluffy yellow ‘chick’ feathers with dark stripes and markings until they gain their brown feathers, which takes about 50-60 days. They have a distinct dark line through their eyes.
Location of photographs: Paris, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM