Mallard

The mallard is the largest and most abundant swimmer in Europe and the principal form of the domestic duck. It is not very demanding and colonizes many stretches of water. It is also unpretentious in its food. The nesting site is selected by the female. The nest is a simple, shallow depression, which is pressed by the female into the grass or the damp ground. After nest building, with the beginning of the brood, the drake leaves the duck. Mallards do have a rich courtship repertoire, but in the competition of the drakes around the females this is often not shown. Often, females are mated by several males without the usual courtship ceremonies. There are two documented cases in which the female is drowned by numerous males.

Species name: mallard
Scientific name: Anas platyrhynchos
Class: birds
Order: geese birds
Family: duck birds
Weight: approx. 800 g
Characteristics: male with green metallic head, yellow bill and white neck ring. Females are inconspicuous light brown with a dark longitudinal stripe.
Enemies: Fox, raccoon, birds of prey, rats, martens
Breeding season: May
Scrub: 7 - 16 eggs
Breeding time: 25 -28 days

Did you know, that ... duck feet have a sophisticated bloodstream (countercurrent principle), which ensures that the webs are constantly cooled to 0 degrees Celsius and therefore do not freeze on the ice?