Mallard vs. Duck

Main Difference

The main difference between Mallard and Duck is that the Mallard is a dabbling duck and Duck is a common name for many species in the bird family Anatidae which go QUAB.

• Mallard

  The mallard ( or ) (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Falkland Islands, and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae. The male birds (drakes) have a glossy green head and are grey on wings and belly while the females (hens or ducks) have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Both sexes have an area of white-bordered black or iridescent blue feathers called a speculum on their wings; males especially tend to have blue speculum feathers. The mallard is 50–65 cm (20–26 in) long, of which the body makes up around two-thirds the length. The wingspan is 81–98 cm (32–39 in) and the bill is 4.4 to 6.1 cm (1.7 to 2.4 in) long. It is often slightly heavier than most other dabbling ducks, weighing 0.72–1.58 kg (1.6–3.5 lb). Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are social animals preferring to congregate in groups or flocks of varying sizes. This species is the main ancestor of most breeds of domesticated ducks.

  The female lays eight to thirteen creamy white to greenish-buff spotless eggs, on alternate days. Incubation takes 27 to 28 days and fledging takes 50 to 60 days. The ducklings are precocial and fully capable of swimming as soon as they hatch.

  The mallard is considered to be a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Unlike many waterfowl, mallards are considered an invasive species in some regions. It is a very adaptable species, being able to live and even thrive in urban areas which may have supported more localised, sensitive species of waterfowl before development. The non-migratory mallard interbreeds with indigenous wild ducks of closely related species through genetic pollution by producing fertile offspring. Complete hybridisation of various species of wild duck gene pools could result in the extinction of many indigenous waterfowl. The wild mallard is the ancestor of most domestic ducks, and its naturally evolved wild gene pool gets genetically polluted by the domesticated and feral mallard populations.

• Duck

  Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the waterfowl family Anatidae, which also includes swans and geese. Ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the family Anatidae; they do not represent a monophyletic group (the group of all descendants of a single common ancestral species) but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered ducks. Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than the swans and geese, and may be found in both fresh water and sea water.

  Ducks are sometimes confused with several types of unrelated water birds with similar forms, such as loons or divers, grebes, gallinules, and coots.

• Duck (noun)

  a waterbird with a broad blunt bill, short legs, webbed feet, and a waddling gait.

• Duck (noun)

  a female duck.

• Duck (noun)

  a duck as food

  "a tangy stew of duck, lamb, and sausage"

• Duck (noun)

  a pure white thin-shelled bivalve mollusc found off the Atlantic coasts of America.

• Duck (noun)

  an amphibious transport vehicle

  "visitors can board an amphibious duck to explore the city"

• Duck (noun)

  a quick lowering of the head.

• Duck (noun)

  dear; darling (used as an informal or affectionate form of address, especially among cockneys)

  "where've yer been, ducks!"

  "it's time you changed, my duck"

• Duck (noun)

  a strong linen or cotton fabric, used chiefly for work clothes and sails

  "cotton duck"

• Duck (noun)

  trousers made of duck.

• Duck (noun)

  a batsman's score of nought

  "he was out for a duck"

• Duck (verb)

  lower the head or the body quickly to avoid a blow or missile or so as not to be seen

  "spectators ducked for cover"

  "he ducked his head and entered"

• Duck (verb)

  depart quickly

  "I thought I saw you duck out"

• Duck (verb)

  avoid (a blow or missile) by moving quickly

  "he ducked a punch from an angry first baseman"

• Duck (verb)

  evade or avoid (an unwelcome duty or undertaking)

  "a responsibility which a less courageous man might well have ducked"

  "I was engaged twice and ducked out both times"

• Duck (verb)

  push or plunge (someone) under water, either playfully or as a punishment

  "Rufus grabbed him from behind to duck him under the surface"

• Duck (verb)

  refrain from playing a winning card on a particular trick for tactical reasons

  "declarer ducked the opening spade lead"

Duck Illustrations