Mallard ducks, like other ducks, are highly social animals that prefer to live in groups or flocks. They can form strong bonds with one another. They will migrate as a flock to find warmer weather and plentiful food.
Ducks spend time preening and cleaning their feathers to stay waterproof, which helps them stay buoyant while swimming and protects them from the cold.
Mallard ducks are found in a variety of locations across the world. They inhabit wetlands such as marshes, ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, and estuaries. They are highly adaptable and can even survive in ponds and lakes of urban areas.
Ducks are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and small animals. As a type of dabbling duck, mallards will dip their heads into shallow water to forage for aquatic plants, insects, grasses, small fish, frogs, and invertebrates. They will sometimes look for food on land as well.
Wild ducks have a variety of predators, including raptors such as owls, hawks, and eagles, as well as terrestrial predators such as foxes, coyotes, skunks, and raccoons. Domestic cats and dogs can also be a significant danger. Mallards evade predators through flight, swimming, camouflage, and diversion. Females and ducklings have mottled brown coloring that blends in with the plants found in their habitats. If a predator approaches, a mother duck will often fly out to cause a diversion while the ducklings remain still and quiet within the protective plant cover. Mallards can take off and fly almost vertically from the water, giving them the advantage of quick escape.
