Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

An artistic note here: I've got to attempt to make these sketches cleaner. There seem to be too many stray lines and smudges. Maybe I'll try sketching with pen?

The mallard is perhaps one of the most easily recognizable and commonly found "wild" ducks. Its habitat ranges all across North America , Europe, Asia and even Australia. It is a strongly migratory bird. For example, most of the mallards who summer in North America migrate to Mexico, South America and even the Caribbean during the winter.

The mallard and the "Muscovy" duck are thought to be the ancestors of all domestic ducks.

The male mallard, called a "drake," is unmistakable as it has a bright green head. The female mallard has brownish feathers, like most other wild ducks. Both male and female bright blue flight feathers edged in white on their wings. This patch of feathers is called the "speculum."

Like most other creatures that range from northern climates to southern climates, those found in the northern climates tend to be larger. This phenomenon is known as "Bergman's Rule". Bergman's rule also states that appendages exposed to elements (ears, noses, duck bills, etc.) also tend to be proportionally smaller in northern climates to minimize heat loss. This is also true in the mallard, with northern birds having smaller bills than southern birds.

Male and female mallards only stay in pairs until the female lays her eggs, usually in a "clutch" of 8-12 eggs. At that time, the male leaves her and she is left to raise the ducklings alone. Ducklings are able to swim and feed themselves as soon as they are born and will stay with the mother for about two months before moving off on their own.