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Anas platyrhynchos
A Mallard spotted in the central wetland area at Huntley Meadows Park. This individual is a male. There were many mallards at the park during the winter and spring months; they seem to have disappeared during the summer.
Huntley Meadows Park, a 1,425 acre wetland area in Fairfax County, Virginia USA. Related Resource: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/huntl...
Copyright © 2012 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved. www.wsanford.com
Spotted on Apr 17, 2012
Submitted on Aug 30, 2012
9 Comments
Mallards have one of the most extensive breeding ranges of any duck in North America, extending across the northern third of the United States and up to the Bering Sea. The highest mallard densities occur in the Prairie Pothole Region of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and North Dakota, with nests placed in upland habitat near wetlands on the ground, or in tree holes or nest boxes. Female mallards lay an average of 9 eggs.
Migrating and Wintering: Mallards migrate along numerous corridors, but the greatest concentrations move from Manitoba and Saskatchewan through the Midwestern United States to the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Mallards winter throughout the United States, with the highest densities typically recorded during winter surveys along the Mississippi Flyway from Cape Girardeau, Mo., to the Gulf of Mexico. Among the dabbling ducks, mallards are one of the latest fall migrants. They also have the most extended migration period, which lasts from late summer to early winter. Mallards are found in a variety of habitats, including dry agricultural fields, shallow marshes and oak-dominated forested wetlands. Mallards are vagrant to Central America and the Caribbean. There are feral breeding populations on Bermuda, introduced in 1960, and the Cayman Islands, introduced in 1983 (Scott and Carbonell, 1986).
http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-i...
Marta has a great collection of water fowl.
They went somewhere else hidden to cuddle and have babies?
Care to speculate regarding the reason mallards disappeared from the park during the warmer months, Emma?
Here is a Mallard hybrid by birding for fun,
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/890...
I had a mission on " Water Fowl" which I closed because of the range limitations. I had about 450 spottings including tons of hybrids.I am very grateful for the fact that at least I can view them.
Liam identified many of the hybrids. it is just amazing ,the amount of hybrids that occur. Canada Geese are equally active in hybridizing.
I love waterfowl.
It actively hybridizes.
Thanks for your comment and favorite, Emma! I don't understand what you meant by, "It is diluting its own species as well as other species."
This bird is beautiful and has awesome colors. It is diluting it's own species as well as other species.