Mallard - Anas Platyrhynchos
Mallards are a member of the Anatini family - Dabbling Ducks. Dabblers feed in the water by straining water or mud through specialized lamellae along the bill or by tearing vegetation that grows up from the pond or river bottom. On land they feed on marsh seeds or agricultural grain.
The familiar sight of orange legs sticking straight up is a hallmark of the Mallard, which chooses shallow water locations that allow the bill to reach vegetation on the bottom.
Mallard nests are on the ground and subject to predation. The female incubates 10 to 12 eggs, while the male guards the nest. DNA studies reveal multiple paternity in about half the broods.
References
The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.
Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.
Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.
Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.
Scotter GW, Ulrich TJ, Jones EJ. Birds in the Canadian Rockies. Prairie Books. Saskatoon. 1990.
Tudge Colin. The Bird. Crown Publishers. New York. 2008.
Mallards are a member of the Anatini family - Dabbling Ducks. Dabblers feed in the water by straining water or mud through specialized lamellae along the bill or by tearing vegetation that grows up from the pond or river bottom. On land they feed on marsh seeds or agricultural grain.
References
The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.
Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.
Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.
Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.
Scotter GW, Ulrich TJ, Jones EJ. Birds in the Canadian Rockies. Prairie Books. Saskatoon. 1990.
Tudge Colin. The Bird. Crown Publishers. New York. 2008.
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