Mallard (Wild Duck)

The Mallard is the quintessential dabbling duck, well-known for the male's glossy green head and yellow bill, while females wear a mottled brown camouflage plumage. They are adaptable swimmers and flyers found in almost any aquatic environment.

Uniform grayish-brown coloration with a subtle warm tone, typical of female mallard or non-breeding plumage body feathers.

Mixed structure featuring a pennaceous tip and a loose, plumulaceous (fluffy) base with downy barbs lacking strong hooklets.

Soft, silky, and slightly velvety to the touch, with a matte appearance and good flexibility.

Uniform brownish-grey coloration, soft downy base transitioning to a neat pennaceous tip, and small size characteristic of duck body plumage.

Wetlands, marshes, lakes, ponds, rivers, and urban parks with open water and emergent vegetation.

Widespread across the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting temperate and subtropical regions of North America, Europe, and Asia.

Acts as an important seed disperser for aquatic plants and serves as prey for various mammalian and avian predators.

Other dabbling ducks such as American Black Duck or Gadwall, whose body feathers share similar coloration and structural softness.

Mallards are the ancestors of almost all domestic duck breeds. They are highly adaptable and frequently hybridize with other duck species.

Fair condition with slight blurring in the image, but the feather structure appears mostly intact with minimal fraying.

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