Thursday, August 08, 2013

Female Mallard

Female Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos

Male mallards have not been around for over a month. Mostly I see females either alone or tending ducklings of various ages. Mallards are single brooded and the 10 to 12 eggs are incubated by the female alone for 26 to 29 days and the ducklings are tended by the female and fledged at about 7 or 8 weeks of age. 
These two photos were taken moments apart and the difference that interested me is how the reflected image changed in the ripples.

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 Birds. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2000.

Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.

No comments: