Mallard (Wild Duck)

These feathers belong to the Mallard, a large dabbling duck reaching 20-26 inches in length. Males feature iconic iridescent green heads and yellow bills, while females are mottled brown with a blue wing patch.

Mottled olive-drab to brownish-green base with dark speckling and pale buff edges. Some feathers show a hint of iridescence compatible with head or speculum-adjacent feathers.

Transition from plumulaceous (downy) at the base to pennaceous (vane-like) at the tip; tightly interlocked at the distal end.

Smooth and slightly oily to the touch; the distal vane has a matte appearance with a waxy finish for waterproofing.

Rounded spatulate shape, olive-brown mottling, and a well-developed downy base for insulation.

Highly adaptable, found in wetlands, ponds, lakes, rivers, marshes, and urban park lagoons.

Widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere; year-round resident in temperate North America and Eurasia.

Primary consumer and seed disperser; they play a vital role in wetland nutrient cycling and as a prey source for larger predators.

American Black Duck (darker, less olive), Gadwall (smaller, more intricate gray vermiculation), or female Northern Shoveler.

Mallards are the ancestors of almost all domestic duck breeds and are known for their spectacular 'dabbling' feeding behavior where they tip tail-up in the water.

Fair to Good. Some fragmentation and loose barbs suggest these are naturally molted feathers from a pre-basic or pre-alternate molt cycle.