Black Mallard - description, habitat, interesting facts

Mallard is a wild duck that can often be found near lakes or marshy areas. The bird has the ability to easily adapt to any environmental conditions, can eat almost anything it can find nearby. The only place where this species of birds cannot fully develop and survive is Antarctica. It will be possible to distinguish between a female and a male even without special knowledge in ornithology, relying only on the external color of the birds.

Description of the species of birds

Mallard weight can reach 2 kg, but the weight of the bird is determined by its habitat, the type of food consumed and the nutrients in it. Often, having met a female and a male bird at the same time, one can draw the erroneous conclusion that these are two different breeds, because the drake has a completely different body structure and plumage features.

The specificity of the female's color lies in the fact that she is able to adapt to the surrounding conditions, where the bird is forced not only to stay, but also to grow ducklings, hide from enemies and survive. In its plumage brownish shades prevail, the color is more vivid in the abdomen. The beak is grayish or bright olive, and the limbs of the bird are light red or orange. With regards to the drake, its color is a true natural masterpiece:

• the color of the plumage on the head is saturated greenish, iridescent with emerald;
• the neck is decorated with a clear little white border;
• goiter and chest area are covered with chestnut plumage;
• paws saturated orange;
• the beak is invariably olive hue.

Such a bright and unusual color by nature was laid in order to distract unnecessary attention from mallard ducks to save offspring. If we talk about the color of plumage in ducklings, then it is most often the usual brown, inconspicuous. If the mallard is grown in natural conditions, then it does not have distinctive specific features. This species of birds also has a special and characteristic voice, which allows hunters to find these birds.

Bird voice

However, the mallard quack is specific and sonorous, while changing during breeding periods, which is due to the need to attract partners. Such a “call” differs from the usual quacking by a mixed long squeak. The female’s voice is louder than the male’s quacking. Moreover, it is rarely possible to hear the voice of a drake, since it is enough for him to attract attention with his color.

Both male and female have their own distinctive features that help them hide in the wild from predators and hunters, while saving their offspring. It should be noted that many people are interested in what is the productivity of this species of birds. On average, a duck can produce up to 60 eggs per year, but it is worth considering that the weight of a duck egg is higher than that of a chicken. In this case, the female will not be able to bear more than one egg during the day.

Is it possible to keep mallard in captivity

This species of birds can be found in agricultural conditions, and then it turns out to notice a considerable difference between it and wild birds. Mallards have a specific appearance: amazing plumage, large mass and unpretentiousness in food.

This is the reason that many farmers want to breed such ducks at home.Birds perfectly adapt to living in an aviary, but if a person needs to get high-quality meat and large volumes of eggs, then he will need to surround the birds with special care. Breeding ducks will become faster with an incubator. The nuance in keeping mallards in the enclosure is that there is no need for perches and warming the barn - the duck will be able to efficiently hatch eggs in a small house, sheltered from the weather.

You can build an aviary from different materials: wood, concrete or brick. It is worth considering that, despite the possibility of keeping the bird in the house, it needs to be given freedom, so it is important to provide the bird with a spacious aviary. Near it you can place a reservoir in which birds can swim, which will have a beneficial effect on the growth and further development of the bird.

Power Features

The duck menu should contain:

• grains;
• plants and root crops;
• aquatic vegetation;
• vitamin complexes;
• water-ground insects and their larvae.

If the feathered pet has access to the ground, then the farmer does not need to worry about the larvae. Ducklings can be fed with hard-boiled eggs. But it is worth paying attention that you should not oversaturate the diet with vitamins, otherwise the effect becomes the opposite, and this leads to diseases or even death. It is forbidden to introduce brown bread into the diet, as well as food containing sugar.