Mallard

 The mallard is the most common duck that we see here in Minnesota. They have a very wide range, which includes most of North America, Europe, northern Asia and northern Africa. They have also been introduced into Australia and New Zealand. They are a large duck weighing approximately 2 to 3 pounds. They are a dabbling duck so the can often be seen floating on the water like a bobber, with their tail on the air and their head underwater searching for aquatic vegetation to eat.

There are several different varieties of mallards. There is the Mexican duck, which is found in Mexico and the southwestern United States, which is a subspecies of the mallard. The Hawaiian duck, found in the Hawaiian Islands is a separate species that is believed to have evolved from the mallard. Mallards will also hybridize with other species of ducks. Mallards with breed with other wild ducks or domesticated species, most of who's ancestries can be traced back to mallards. The duck in the front of this photo is a female hybrid between a mallard and most likely a domesticated duck.