Black Mallard - description, habitat, interesting facts

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

Description of species of birds

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

The specificity of the color of the female is that she is able to adapt to the environment, where the bird is forced not only to be, but also to grow up ducklings, hide from enemies and survive. Its plumage is dominated by brownish shades, the color is brighter in the abdomen. The beak is grayish or bright olive, and the limbs of the bird are light red or orange. With regards to drake, its color is a true natural masterpiece:

• color of feathering on the head is saturated greenish, iridescent with emerald;
• the neck is decorated with a clear white border;
• goiter and chest area covered with chestnut plumage;
• legs are rich orange;
• beak consistently olive shade.

Such a bright and unusual color nature laid in order to divert unnecessary attention from the mallard to save offspring. If we talk about the color of the plumage in ducklings, it is usually 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 distinctive voice, which allows hunters to find these birds.

Bird voice

However, mallard quacking is specific and sonorous, while changing during breeding periods, due to the need to attract partners. Such a “call” differs from the usual quacking by a mixed long squeak. The voice of the female is louder than the male's quacking. In addition, it is rarely possible to hear the voice of a drake, since it is enough for it to attract attention with its 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 pointed out that many people are interested in the productivity of this species of birds. On average, during the year, one duck can produce up to 60 eggs, but it is worth considering that the mass of duck eggs is higher than that of chicken. In this case, the female will not be able to carry more than one egg during the day.

Is it possible to keep a mallard in captivity

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

This is the reason why many farmers want to breed such ducks at home. Birds are perfectly adapted to the habitat in the aviary, but if a person needs to get high-quality meat and large volumes of eggs, it will be necessary to surround the birds with special care. Breeding ducks will be faster with an incubator. The nuance of keeping a mall in an open-air cage is that it does not require roosting and barn insulation - the duck will be able to productively hatch eggs in a small house sheltered from the weather.

You can build an open-air cage of different materials: wood, concrete or brick. It should be borne in mind that, despite the possibility of keeping the bird in the house, it must be given freedom, so it is important to provide the bird with a spacious aviary. A reservoir can be located near it, in which birds can swim, which will have a beneficial effect on the growth and further development of the bird.

Power Features

In the menu ducks should be:

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

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