Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

      Photos by BarrytheBirder

                                                                                                                 Female

Mallard Ducks are the most familiar duck of the northern hemisphere and are found across Canada and the United States.   They frequent a wide variety of shallow-water environments.   National Geographic Field Guide states feral and domestic birds are permanent residents, often found in public parks, including south of their normal range.

The Audubon Society Field Guide says of the Mallard: "Ancestor of the common white duck, wild Mallards frequently interbreed with domestic stock, producing a bewildering variety of patterns and colour.   They also hybridize with wild species such as the closely related Black Duck and even occasionally with Pintails."

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BarrytheBirder