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108-484: A. p. platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 A. p. domesticus Linnaeus, 1758 A. p. conboschas C. L. Brehm , 1831 (disputed) [REDACTED] The mallard ( / ˈ m æ l ɑːr d , ˈ m æ l ər d / ) or wild duck ( Anas platyrhynchos ) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas , Eurasia , and North Africa . It has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia,

216-557: A species : see Botanical name and Specific name (zoology) . The rules for the scientific names of organisms are laid down in the nomenclature codes , which allow each species a single unique name that, for animals (including protists ), plants (also including algae and fungi ) and prokaryotes ( bacteria and archaea ), is Latin and binomial in form; this contrasts with common or vernacular names , which are non-standardized, can be non-unique, and typically also vary by country and language of usage. Except for viruses ,

324-679: A 'late' clutch occurred in November 2011, in which a female successfully hatched and raised a clutch of eleven ducklings at the London Wetland Centre . During the breeding season, both male and female mallards can become aggressive, driving off competitors to themselves or their mate by charging at them. Males tend to fight more than females and attack each other by repeatedly pecking at their rival's chest, ripping out feathers and even skin on rare occasions. Female mallards are also known to carry out 'inciting displays', which encourage other ducks in

432-536: A 1941 children's picture book by Robert McCloskey, tells the story of a pair of mallards who decide to raise their family on an island in the lagoon in Boston Public Garden. It won the 1942 Caldecott Medal for its illustrations. The Disney cartoon character Donald Duck , one of the world's most recognizable pop culture icons, is a domestic duck of the American Pekin breed. The domestic duck features in

540-602: A brood of ducklings. Nesting sites are typically on the ground, hidden in vegetation where the female's speckled plumage serves as effective camouflage , but female mallards have also been known to nest in hollows in trees, boathouses, roof gardens and on balconies, sometimes resulting in hatched offspring having difficulty following their parent to water. Egg clutches number 8–13 creamy white to greenish-buff eggs free of speckles. They measure about 58 mm (2.3 in) in length and 32 mm (1.3 in) in width. The eggs are laid on alternate days, and incubation begins when

648-619: A cluster that was sister to the White Pekin duck (a breed derived from ducks domesticated in China), while Muscovy ducks are from another genus. Muscovy duck Other breeds White Pekin Assam duck Other Indian breeds ( Kuttanad , Keeri , Sanyasi ) Ducks have been farmed for thousands of years. They are reared principally for meat, but also for duck eggs . Duck husbandry is simplified by aspects of their behaviour, including reliable flocking and

756-491: A combination of hot temperatures and reduced water levels place mallards at an increased risk of contracting botulism , as these conditions are ideal for Clostridium botulinum to propagate, with the birds also more likely to come into contact with botulinum toxin produced by the bacteria. Outbreaks of botulism among mallard populations can lead to mass die-offs. The predation-avoidance behaviour of sleeping with one eye open, allowing one brain hemisphere to remain aware while

864-525: A darker crown and eye-stripe. Mallards, like other sexually-dimorphic birds, can sometimes go though spontaneous sex reversal, often caused by damaged or nonfunctioning sex organs, such as the ovaries in mallard hens. This phenomenon can cause female mallards to exhibit male plumage, and vice versa (phenotypic feminisation or masculinisation). Both male and female mallards have distinct iridescent purple-blue speculum feathers edged with white, which are prominent in flight or at rest but temporarily shed during

972-545: A flock of mallards in Romania were observed hunting small migratory birds, including grey wagtails and black redstarts , the first documented occasion they had been seen attacking and consuming large vertebrates. It usually nests on a river bank, but not always near water. It is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and forms large flocks , which are known as "sordes". Mallards usually form pairs (in October and November in

1080-401: A glass window. This paper was awarded an Ig Nobel Prize in 2003. Mallards are opportunistically targeted by brood parasites , occasionally having eggs laid in their nests by redheads , ruddy ducks , lesser scaup , gadwalls , northern shovellers , northern pintails , cinnamon teal , common goldeneyes , and other mallards. These eggs are generally accepted when they resemble the eggs of

1188-643: A later homonym of a validly published name is a nomen illegitimum or nom. illeg. ; for a full list refer to the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants and the work cited above by Hawksworth, 2010. In place of the "valid taxon" in zoology, the nearest equivalent in botany is " correct name " or "current name" which can, again, differ or change with alternative taxonomic treatments or new information that results in previously accepted genera being combined or split. Prokaryote and virus codes of nomenclature also exist which serve as

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1296-621: A long time and redescribed as new by a range of subsequent workers, or if a range of genera previously considered separate taxa have subsequently been consolidated into one. For example, the World Register of Marine Species presently lists 8 genus-level synonyms for the sperm whale genus Physeter Linnaeus, 1758, and 13 for the bivalve genus Pecten O.F. Müller, 1776. Within the same kingdom, one generic name can apply to one genus only. However, many names have been assigned (usually unintentionally) to two or more different genera. For example,

1404-604: A mallard produce a characteristic faint whistling noise. The mallard is a rare example of both Allen's Rule and Bergmann's Rule in birds. Bergmann's Rule, which states that polar forms tend to be larger than related ones from warmer climates, has numerous examples in birds, as in case of the Greenland mallard which is larger than the mallards further south. Allen's Rule says that appendages like ears tend to be smaller in polar forms to minimise heat loss, and larger in tropical and desert equivalents to facilitate heat diffusion, and that

1512-445: A mallard) to huge bald ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) and golden eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos ), and about a dozen species of mammalian predators, not counting several more avian and mammalian predators who threaten eggs and nestlings. Mallards are also preyed upon by other waterside apex predators , such as grey herons ( Ardea cinerea ), great blue herons ( Ardea herodias ) and black-crowned night herons ( Nycticorax nycticorax ),

1620-563: A range of ancient artefacts , which revealed that they were a fertility symbol. [REDACTED] Media related to Domesticated ducks at Wikimedia Commons [REDACTED] Duck at the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject Genus The composition of a genus is determined by taxonomists . The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including

1728-409: A reference for designating currently accepted genus names as opposed to others which may be either reduced to synonymy, or, in the case of prokaryotes, relegated to a status of "names without standing in prokaryotic nomenclature". An available (zoological) or validly published (botanical) name that has been historically applied to a genus but is not regarded as the accepted (current/valid) name for

1836-437: A separate subspecies, the Greenland mallard ( A.   p.   conboschas ). The mallard is a medium-sized waterfowl species that is often slightly heavier than most other dabbling ducks. It is 50–65 cm (20–26 in) long – of which the body makes up around two-thirds – has a wingspan of 81–98 cm (32–39 in), and weighs 0.7–1.6 kg (1.5–3.5 lb). Among standard measurements,

1944-520: A severe threat to indigenous waterfowl's genetic integrity. Mallards and their hybrids compete with indigenous birds for resources, including nest sites, roosting sites, and food. Availability of mallards, mallard ducklings, and fertilised mallard eggs for public sale and private ownership, either as poultry or as pets, is currently legal in the United States, except for the state of Florida , which has currently banned domestic ownership of mallards. This

2052-527: A single domestication event of mallards during the Neolithic , followed by rapid selection for lineages favouring meat or egg production. They were probably domesticated in Southern China around 2000 BC  – by the rice paddy -farming ancestors of modern Southeast Asians – and spread outwards from that region. There are few archaeological records, so the date of domestication

2160-744: A strong flavour. They were first domesticated in Southeast Asia at least 4,000 years ago, during the Neolithic Age , and were also farmed by the Romans in Europe, and the Malays in Asia . As the domestic duck and the mallard are the same species as each other, it is common for mallards to mate with domestic ducks and produce hybrid offspring that are fully fertile. Because of this, mallards have been found to be contaminated with

2268-427: A taxon; however, the names published in suppressed works are made unavailable via the relevant Opinion dealing with the work in question. In botany, similar concepts exist but with different labels. The botanical equivalent of zoology's "available name" is a validly published name . An invalidly published name is a nomen invalidum or nom. inval. ; a rejected name is a nomen rejiciendum or nom. rej. ;

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2376-455: A total of c. 520,000 published names (including synonyms) as at end 2019, increasing at some 2,500 published generic names per year. "Official" registers of taxon names at all ranks, including genera, exist for a few groups only such as viruses and prokaryotes, while for others there are compendia with no "official" standing such as Index Fungorum for fungi, Index Nominum Algarum and AlgaeBase for algae, Index Nominum Genericorum and

2484-404: A truncated version of the usual quack. This maternal vocalisation is highly attractive to their young. The repetition and frequency modulation of these quacks form the auditory basis for species identification in offspring, a process known as acoustic conspecific identification. In addition, females hiss if the nest or offspring are threatened or interfered with. When taking off, the wings of

2592-415: A very small and fluctuating population. Mallards sometimes arrive on its island home during migration, and can be expected to occasionally have remained and hybridised with Laysan ducks as long as these species have existed. However, these hybrids are less well adapted to the peculiar ecological conditions of Laysan Island than the local ducks, and thus have lower fitness . Laysan ducks were found throughout

2700-802: A white square on the wings in flight, and is a smaller bird. More similar to the female mallard in North America are the American black duck ( A.   rubripes ), which is notably darker-hued in both sexes than the mallard, and the mottled duck ( A.   fulvigula ), which is somewhat darker than the female mallard, and with slightly different bare-part colouration and no white edge on the speculum. In captivity, domestic ducks come in wild-type plumages, white, and other colours. Most of these colour variants are also known in domestic mallards not bred as livestock, but kept as pets, aviary birds, etc., where they are rare but increasing in availability. A noisy species,

2808-721: 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 0.7–1.6 kg (1.5–3.5 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. The female lays 8 to 13 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

2916-667: 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

3024-468: Is currently introgressing into the mallard populations of the Primorsky Krai , possibly due to habitat changes from global warming . The Mariana mallard was a resident allopatric population – in most respects a good species – apparently initially derived from mallard-Pacific black duck hybrids; it became extinct in the late 20th century. The Laysan duck is an insular relative of the mallard, with

3132-596: Is discouraged by both the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants , there are some five thousand such names in use in more than one kingdom. For instance, A list of generic homonyms (with their authorities), including both available (validly published) and selected unavailable names, has been compiled by the Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera (IRMNG). The type genus forms

3240-418: Is more a consequence of local ducks declining than of mallards spreading; allopatric speciation and isolating behaviour have produced today's diversity of mallard-like ducks despite the fact that, in most, if not all, of these populations, hybridisation must have occurred to some extent. Mallards are causing severe "genetic pollution" to South Africa's biodiversity by breeding with endemic ducks even though

3348-632: Is not warranted a vulnerable rating. Also, the population size of the mallard is very large. Unlike many waterfowl, mallards have benefited from human alterations to the world – so much so that they are now considered an invasive species in some regions. They are a common sight in urban parks, lakes, ponds, and other human-made water features in the regions they inhabit, and are often tolerated or encouraged in human habitat due to their placid nature towards humans and their beautiful and iridescent colours. While most are not domesticated, mallards are so successful at coexisting in human regions that

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3456-455: Is often played by an incubator . However, young ducklings rely on their mothers for a supply of preen oil to make them waterproof; a chicken does not make as much preen oil as a duck, and an incubator makes none. Once the duckling grows its own feathers, it produces preen oil from the sebaceous gland near the base of its tail. In East and Southeast Asia, rice-duck farming is widely practised. This polyculture yields both rice and ducks from

3564-516: Is sometimes still used this way. It was derived from the Old French malart or mallart for "wild drake" although its true derivation is unclear. It may be related to, or at least influenced by, an Old High German masculine proper name Madelhart , clues lying in the alternative English forms "maudelard" and "mawdelard". Masle (male) has also been proposed as an influence. Mallards frequently interbreed with their closest relatives in

3672-460: Is somewhat arbitrary. Although all species within a genus are supposed to be "similar", there are no objective criteria for grouping species into genera. There is much debate among zoologists about whether enormous, species-rich genera should be maintained, as it is extremely difficult to come up with identification keys or even character sets that distinguish all species. Hence, many taxonomists argue in favor of breaking down large genera. For instance,

3780-914: Is somewhat shallow where the birds can be found foraging for food. Hunting mallards might cause the population to decline in some places, at some times, and with some populations. In certain countries, the mallard may be legally shot but is protected under national acts and policies. For example, in the United Kingdom, the mallard is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 , which restricts certain hunting methods or taking or killing mallards. Domesticated duck Domestic ducks (mainly mallard , Anas platyrhynchos domesticus , with some Muscovy ducks , Cairina moschata domestica ) are ducks that have been domesticated and raised for meat and eggs . A few are kept for show, or for their ornamental value. Most varieties of domesticated ducks, apart from

3888-474: Is the type species , and the generic name is permanently associated with the type specimen of its type species. Should the specimen turn out to be assignable to another genus, the generic name linked to it becomes a junior synonym and the remaining taxa in the former genus need to be reassessed. In zoological usage, taxonomic names, including those of genera, are classified as "available" or "unavailable". Available names are those published in accordance with

3996-580: Is to prevent hybridisation with the native mottled duck . The mallard is considered an invasive species in Australia and New Zealand, where it competes with the Pacific black duck (known as the grey duck locally in New Zealand) which was over-hunted in the past. There, and elsewhere, mallards are spreading with increasing urbanisation and hybridising with local relatives. The eastern or Chinese spot-billed duck

4104-765: Is unknown; the earliest written records are in Han Chinese writings from central China dating to about 500 BC. Duck farming for both meat and eggs is a widespread and ancient industry in Southeast Asia. Wild ducks were hunted extensively in Egypt and other parts of the world in ancient times, but were not domesticated. Ducks are documented in Ancient Rome from the second century BC, but descriptions – such as by Columella – suggest that ducks in Roman agriculture were captured in

4212-572: The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds – an agreement to protect the local waterfowl populations – applies to the mallard as well as other ducks. The hybrids of mallards and the yellow-billed duck are fertile, capable of producing hybrid offspring. If this continues, only hybrids occur and in the long term result in the extinction of various indigenous waterfowl. The mallard can crossbreed with 63 other species, posing

4320-560: The Caribbean between September and May. A drake later named "Trevor" attracted media attention in 2018 when it turned up on the island of Niue , an atypical location for mallards. The mallard inhabits a wide range of habitats and climates, from the Arctic tundra to subtropical regions. It is found in both fresh- and salt-water wetlands, including parks, small ponds, rivers, lakes and estuaries , as well as shallow inlets and open sea within sight of

4428-763: The D-loop sequence suggest that mallards may have evolved in the general area of Siberia . Mallard bones rather abruptly appear in food remains of ancient humans and other deposits of fossil bones in Europe , without a good candidate for a local predecessor species . The large Ice Age palaeosubspecies that made up at least the European and West Asian populations during the Pleistocene has been named Anas platyrhynchos palaeoboschas . Mallards are differentiated in their mitochondrial DNA between North American and Eurasian populations, but

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4536-577: The European herring gull ( Larus argentatus ), the wels catfish ( Silurus glanis ), and the northern pike ( Esox lucius ). Crows ( Corvus   spp. ) are also known to kill ducklings and adults on occasion. Also, mallards may be attacked by larger anseriformes such as swans ( Cygnus   spp. ) and geese during the breeding season, and are frequently driven off by these birds over territorial disputes. Mute swans ( Cygnus olor ) have been known to attack or even kill mallards if they feel that

4644-621: The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ; the earliest such name for any taxon (for example, a genus) should then be selected as the " valid " (i.e., current or accepted) name for the taxon in question. Consequently, there will be more available names than valid names at any point in time; which names are currently in use depending on the judgement of taxonomists in either combining taxa described under multiple names, or splitting taxa which may bring available names previously treated as synonyms back into use. "Unavailable" names in zoology comprise names that either were not published according to

4752-799: The International Plant Names Index for plants in general, and ferns through angiosperms, respectively, and Nomenclator Zoologicus and the Index to Organism Names for zoological names. Totals for both "all names" and estimates for "accepted names" as held in the Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera (IRMNG) are broken down further in the publication by Rees et al., 2020 cited above. The accepted names estimates are as follows, broken down by kingdom: The cited ranges of uncertainty arise because IRMNG lists "uncertain" names (not researched therein) in addition to known "accepted" names;

4860-810: The Old World mallards and the New World mallard demonstrates the extent to which the genome is shared among them such that birds like the Chinese spot-billed duck are highly similar to the Old World mallard, and birds such as the Hawaiian duck are highly similar to the New World mallard. The size of the mallard varies clinally ; for example, birds from Greenland , though larger, have smaller bills, paler plumage, and stockier bodies than birds further south and are sometimes classified as

4968-512: The Royal Ballet's The Tales of Beatrix Potter . It is the story of how Jemima, a domestic duck, is saved from a cunning fox who plans to kill her, when she tries to find a safe place for her eggs to hatch. The Story About Ping is a 1933 American children's book by Marjorie Flack , illustrated by Kurt Wiese , about a domestic duck lost on the Yangtze River . Make Way for Ducklings ,

5076-820: The genus Anas , such as the American black duck , and also with species more distantly related, such as the northern pintail , leading to various hybrids that may be fully fertile. The mallard has hybridised with more than 40 species in the wild, and an additional 20 species in captivity, though fertile hybrids typically have two Anas parents. Mallards and their domestic conspecifics are fully interfertile; many wild mallard populations in North America contain significant amounts of domestic mallard DNA. Genetic analysis has shown that certain mallards appear to be closer to their Indo-Pacific relatives, while others are related to their American relatives. Mitochondrial DNA data for

5184-404: The platypus belongs to the genus Ornithorhynchus although George Shaw named it Platypus in 1799 (these two names are thus synonyms ) . However, the name Platypus had already been given to a group of ambrosia beetles by Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst in 1793. A name that means two different things is a homonym . Since beetles and platypuses are both members of the kingdom Animalia,

5292-400: The wing chord is 25.7 to 30.6 cm (10.1 to 12.0 in), the bill is 4.4 to 6.1 cm (1.7 to 2.4 in), and the tarsus is 4.1 to 4.8 cm (1.6 to 1.9 in). The breeding male mallard is unmistakable, with a glossy bottle-green head and a white collar that demarcates the head and neck from the purple-tinged brown breast, grey-brown wings, and a pale grey belly. The rear of

5400-472: The Falkland Islands, and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae . Males (drakes) have green heads, while the females (hens) have mainly brown-speckled plumage . Both sexes have an area of white-bordered black or iridescent purple or blue feathers called a speculum on their wings; males especially tend to have blue speculum feathers. The mallard

5508-469: The French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656–1708) is considered "the founder of the modern concept of genera". The scientific name (or the scientific epithet) of a genus is also called the generic name ; in modern style guides and science, it is always capitalised. It plays a fundamental role in binomial nomenclature , the system of naming organisms , where it is combined with the scientific name of

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5616-506: The Hawaiian archipelago before 400   AD, after which they suffered a rapid decline during the Polynesian colonisation. Now, their range includes only Laysan Island. It is one of the successfully translocated birds, after having become nearly extinct in the early 20th century. Mallards have often been ubiquitous in their regions among the ponds, rivers, and streams of human parks, farms, and other human-made waterways – even to

5724-601: The Muscovy duck and hybrids, are descended from the mallard, which was domesticated in China around 2000 BC. Duck farming is simplified by their reliable flocking behaviour, and their ability to forage effectively for themselves. Over 80% of global duck production is in China. Breeds such as White Pekin are raised for meat, while the prolific Indian Runner can produce over 300 eggs per year. In East and Southeast Asia, polycultures such as rice-duck farming are widely practised:

5832-738: The Northern Hemisphere) until the female lays eggs at the start of the nesting season, which is around the beginning of spring. At this time she is left by the male who joins up with other males to await the moulting period, which begins in June (in the Northern Hemisphere). During the brief time before this, however, the males are still sexually potent and some of them either remain on standby to sire replacement clutches (for female mallards that have lost or abandoned their previous clutch) or forcibly mate with females that appear to be isolated or unattached regardless of their species and whether or not they have

5940-458: The Philippines, balut – a fertilised duck egg at about 17 days of development, boiled and eaten with salt – is considered a delicacy and is sold as street food . The domestic duck has appeared numerous times in children's stories. Beatrix Potter 's The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck was published by Frederick Warne & Co in 1908. One of Potter's best-known books, the tale was included in

6048-643: The ability to forage effectively for themselves in wetlands and water bodies. Most breeds of duck may lay some 200 eggs per year, though the Indian Runner may produce over 300 eggs annually. The females of many breeds of domestic duck are unreliable at sitting their eggs and raising their young. Exceptions include the Rouen duck and especially the Muscovy duck . It has been a custom on farms for centuries to put duck eggs under broody hens for hatching; nowadays this role

6156-455: The annual summer moult. Upon hatching, the plumage of the duckling is yellow on the underside and face (with streaks by the eyes) and black on the back (with some yellow spots) all the way to the top and back of the head. Its legs and bill are also black. As it nears a month in age, the duckling's plumage starts becoming drab, looking more like the female, though more streaked, and its legs lose their dark grey colouring. Two months after hatching,

6264-442: The base for higher taxonomic ranks, such as the family name Canidae ("Canids") based on Canis . However, this does not typically ascend more than one or two levels: the order to which dogs and wolves belong is Carnivora ("Carnivores"). The numbers of either accepted, or all published genus names is not known precisely; Rees et al., 2020 estimate that approximately 310,000 accepted names (valid taxa) may exist, out of

6372-405: The beginning and the end of the summer moulting period. The adulthood age for mallards is fourteen months, and the average life expectancy is three years, but they can live to twenty. Several species of duck have brown-plumaged females that can be confused with the female mallard. The female gadwall ( Mareca strepera ) has an orange-lined bill, white belly, black and white speculum that is seen as

6480-453: The centre tail feather (drake feather) is curled, but in females, the centre tail feather is straight. During the final period of maturity leading up to adulthood (6–10 months of age), the plumage of female juveniles remains the same while the plumage of male juveniles gradually changes to its characteristic colours. This change in plumage also applies to adult mallard males when they transition in and out of their non-breeding eclipse plumage at

6588-835: The clutch is almost complete. Incubation takes 27–28   days and fledging takes 50–60   days. The ducklings are precocial and fully capable of swimming as soon as they hatch. However, filial imprinting compels them to instinctively stay near the mother, not only for warmth and protection but also to learn about and remember their habitat as well as how and where to forage for food. Though adoptions are known to occur, female mallards typically do not tolerate stray ducklings near their broods, and will violently attack and drive away any unfamiliar young, sometimes going as far as to kill them. When ducklings mature into flight-capable juveniles, they learn about and remember their traditional migratory routes (unless they are born and raised in captivity). In New Zealand, where mallards are naturalised ,

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6696-489: The coastline. Water depths of less than 0.9 metres (3.0 ft) are preferred, with birds avoiding areas more than a few metres deep. They are attracted to bodies of water with aquatic vegetation. The mallard is omnivorous and very flexible in its choice of food. Its diet may vary based on several factors, including the stage of the breeding cycle, short-term variations in available food, nutrient availability, and interspecific and intraspecific competition . The majority of

6804-424: The dangerous H5N1 strain of avian influenza . Ducks are subject to ectoparasites such as lice and endoparasites such as trematodes , cestodes , and acanthocephalans . A high parasitic load can result in a substantial reduction in the ducks' growth rate. In 2021 approximately 4.3 billion ducks were slaughtered for meat worldwide, for a total yield of about 6.2 million tonnes; over 80% of this production

6912-459: The duck has been eaten as food. Usually only the breast and thigh meat is eaten. It does not need to be hung before preparation, and is often braised or roasted, sometimes flavoured with bitter orange or with port . Peking duck is a dish of roast duck from Beijing, China, that has been prepared since medieval times. It is today traditionally served with spring pancakes , spring onions and sweet bean sauce . In France, ducks are used for

7020-582: The ducks assist the rice with manure and by eating small pest animals, so that the same land produces rice and ducks at once. In culture, ducks feature in children's stories such as The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck , and in Sergei Prokofiev 's musical composition Peter and the Wolf ; they have appeared in art since the time of ancient Egypt , where they served as a fertility symbol . Domestic ducks appear from whole-genome sequencing to have originated from

7128-472: The ducks pose a threat to their offspring. Common loons ( Gavia inmer ) are similarly territorial and aggressive towards other birds in such disputes, and will frequently drive mallards away from their territory. However, in 2019, a pair of common loons in Wisconsin were observed raising a mallard duckling for several weeks, having seemingly adopted the bird after it had been abandoned by its parents. In summer,

7236-433: The extinction of many indigenous waterfowl. The mallard itself is the ancestor of most domestic ducks, and its naturally evolved wild gene pool gets genetically polluted in turn by the domestic and feral populations. Over time, a continuum of hybrids ranging between almost typical examples of either species develop; the speciation process is beginning to reverse itself. This has created conservation concerns for relatives of

7344-461: The extinction of many indigenous waterfowl. This species is the main ancestor of most breeds of domestic duck , and its naturally evolved wild gene pool has been genetically polluted by the domestic and feral mallard populations. The mallard was one of the many bird species originally described in the 1758 10th   edition of Systema Naturae by Carl Linnaeus . He gave it two binomial names : Anas platyrhynchos and Anas boschas . The latter

7452-436: The female has the deep quack stereotypically associated with ducks. The female will often call with a sequence of 2-10 quacks in a row, starting loud and with the volume gradually decreasing. Male mallards make a sound phonetically similar to that of the female, a typical quack , but it is deeper and quieter compared to that of the female. Research conducted by Middlesex University on two English mallard populations found that

7560-420: The female. Lebret (1961) calls this behaviour "Attempted Rape Flight", and Stanley Cramp and K.E.L. Simmons (1977) speak of "rape-intent flights". Male mallards also occasionally chase other male ducks of a different species, and even each other, in the same way. In one documented case of "homosexual necrophilia", a male mallard copulated with another male he was chasing after the chased male died upon flying into

7668-411: The fledgling period has ended, and the duckling is now a juvenile. The duckling is able to fly 50–60 days after hatching. Its bill soon loses its dark grey colouring, and its sex can finally be distinguished visually by three factors: 1)   the bill is yellow in males, but black and orange in females; 2)   the breast feathers are reddish-brown in males, but brown in females; and 3)   in males,

7776-406: The flock to begin fighting. It is possible that this behaviour allows the female to evaluate the strength of potential partners. The drakes that end up being left out after the others have paired off with mating partners sometimes target an isolated female duck, even one of a different species, and proceed to chase and peck at her until she weakens, at which point the males take turns copulating with

7884-446: The form "author, year" in zoology, and "standard abbreviated author name" in botany. Thus in the examples above, the genus Canis would be cited in full as " Canis Linnaeus, 1758" (zoological usage), while Hibiscus , also first established by Linnaeus but in 1753, is simply " Hibiscus L." (botanical usage). Each genus should have a designated type , although in practice there is a backlog of older names without one. In zoology, this

7992-727: The generic name (or its abbreviated form) still forms the leading portion of the scientific name, for example, Canis lupus lupus for the Eurasian wolf subspecies, or as a botanical example, Hibiscus arnottianus ssp. immaculatus . Also, as visible in the above examples, the Latinised portions of the scientific names of genera and their included species (and infraspecies, where applicable) are, by convention, written in italics . The scientific names of virus species are descriptive, not binomial in form, and may or may not incorporate an indication of their containing genus; for example,

8100-400: The genes of the domestic duck. While the keeping of domestic breeds is more popular, pure-bred mallards are sometimes kept for eggs and meat, although they may require wing clipping to restrict flying. Mallards are one of the most common species shot in waterfowl hunting due to their large population size. The ideal location for hunting mallards is considered to be where the water level

8208-615: The genes that decide plumage colour are very common and have resulted in a wide variety of hybrids, such as Brewer's duck (mallard × gadwall, Mareca strepera ). The mallard is widely distributed across the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; in North America its range extends from southern and central Alaska to Mexico, the Hawaiian Islands , across the Palearctic , from Iceland and southern Greenland and parts of Morocco ( North Africa ) in

8316-473: The grass Echinochloa crus-galli , and nonlaying females ate 37.0% animal matter and 63.0% plant matter, while laying females ate 71.9% animal matter and only 28.1% plant matter. Plants generally make up the larger part of a bird's diet, especially during autumn migration and in the winter. The mallard usually feeds by dabbling for plant food or grazing; there are reports of it eating frogs , other amphibians , and fish , including carcasses . However, in 2017

8424-419: The host mallard, but the hen may attempt to eject them or even abandon the nest if parasitism occurs during egg laying. In addition to human hunting, mallards of all ages (but especially young ones) and in all locations must contend with a wide diversity of predators including raptors and owls , mustelids , corvids , snakes , raccoons , opossums , skunks , turtles , large fish , felids , and canids ,

8532-432: The idea that a newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: Moreover, genera should be composed of phylogenetic units of the same kind as other (analogous) genera. The term "genus" comes from Latin genus , a noun form cognate with gignere ('to bear; to give birth to'). The Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus popularized its use in his 1753 Species Plantarum , but

8640-628: The largest component, with 23,236 ± 5,379 accepted genus names, of which 20,845 ± 4,494 are angiosperms (superclass Angiospermae). By comparison, the 2018 annual edition of the Catalogue of Life (estimated >90% complete, for extant species in the main) contains currently 175,363 "accepted" genus names for 1,744,204 living and 59,284 extinct species, also including genus names only (no species) for some groups. The number of species in genera varies considerably among taxonomic groups. For instance, among (non-avian) reptiles , which have about 1180 genera,

8748-470: The last two including domestic cats and dogs. The most prolific natural predators of adult mallards are red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ; which most often pick off brooding females) and the faster or larger birds of prey, (e.g. peregrine falcons , Aquila or Haliaeetus eagles). In North America, adult mallards face no fewer than 15 species of birds of prey, from northern harriers ( Circus hudsonius ) and short-eared owls ( Asio flammeus ) (both smaller than

8856-730: The main conservation risk they pose comes from the loss of genetic diversity among a region's traditional ducks once humans and mallards colonise an area. Mallards are very adaptable, being able to live and even thrive in urban areas which may have supported more localised, sensitive species of waterfowl before development. The release of feral mallards in areas where they are not native sometimes creates problems through interbreeding with indigenous waterfowl . These non-migratory mallards interbreed with indigenous wild ducks from local populations of closely related species through genetic pollution by producing fertile offspring. Complete hybridisation of various species of wild duck gene pools could result in

8964-444: The male is black, with white-bordered dark tail feathers. The bill of the male is a yellowish-orange tipped with black, with that of the female generally darker and ranging from black to mottled orange and brown. The female mallard is predominantly mottled, with each individual feather showing sharp contrast from buff to very dark brown, a coloration shared by most female dabbling ducks, and has buff cheeks, eyebrow, throat, and neck, with

9072-485: The mallard species. Ecological changes and hunting have also led to a decline of local species; for example, the New Zealand grey duck population declined drastically due to overhunting in the mid-20th century. Hybrid offspring of Hawaiian ducks seem to be less well adapted to native habitat, and using them in re-introduction projects apparently reduces success. In summary, the problems of mallards "hybridising away" relatives

9180-400: The mallard's diet seems to be made up of gastropods , insects (including beetles, flies, lepidopterans , dragonflies , and caddisflies ), crustaceans , other arthropods , worms, feces of other birds, many varieties of seeds and plant matter, and roots and tubers . During the breeding season, male birds were recorded to have eaten 37.6% animal matter and 62.4% plant matter, most notably

9288-786: The mallard's territorial behaviour, and are less aggressive than mallards. Despite these differences, domestic ducks frequently mate with wild mallard, producing fully fertile hybrid offspring. A wild mallard weighs some 1.1 kg (2.4 lb), but large breeds like the Aylesbury may weigh 4.6 kg (10 lb) (and hybrids even more), while small breeds like the Appleyard may be only 0.7 kg (1.5 lb). Those breeds are raised for meat and eggs, while other breeds are purely ornamental, having been selected for their crests, tufts, or striking plumage, for exhibition in competitions. A phylogenomic analysis found that Indian breeds of ducks formed

9396-527: The mallard, such as the Hawaiian duck , the New Zealand grey duck ( A.   s. superciliosa) subspecies of the Pacific black duck , the American black duck, the mottled duck , Meller's duck , the yellow-billed duck , and the Mexican duck , in the latter case even leading to a dispute as to whether these birds should be considered a species (and thus entitled to more conservation research and funding) or included in

9504-403: The most (>300) have only 1 species, ~360 have between 2 and 4 species, 260 have 5–10 species, ~200 have 11–50 species, and only 27 genera have more than 50 species. However, some insect genera such as the bee genera Lasioglossum and Andrena have over 1000 species each. The largest flowering plant genus, Astragalus , contains over 3,000 species. Which species are assigned to a genus

9612-492: The musical composition Peter and the Wolf , written by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The orchestra illustrates the children's story while the narrator tells it. In this, a domestic duck and a little bird argue on each other's flight capabilities. The duck is represented by the oboe. The story ends with the wolf eating the duck alive, its quack heard from inside the wolf's belly. Domestic ducks are featured in

9720-428: The name could not be used for both. Johann Friedrich Blumenbach published the replacement name Ornithorhynchus in 1800. However, a genus in one kingdom is allowed to bear a scientific name that is in use as a generic name (or the name of a taxon in another rank) in a kingdom that is governed by a different nomenclature code. Names with the same form but applying to different taxa are called "homonyms". Although this

9828-443: The nesting season has been found to be longer, eggs and clutches are larger and nest survival is generally greater compared with mallards in their native range. In cases where a nest or brood fails, some mallards may mate for a second time in an attempt to raise a second clutch, typically around early-to-mid summer. In addition, mallards may occasionally breed during the autumn in cases of unseasonably warm weather; one such instance of

9936-476: The nuclear genome displays a notable lack of genetic structure. Haplotypes typical of American mallard relatives and eastern spot-billed ducks can be found in mallards around the Bering Sea . The Aleutian Islands hold a population of mallards that appear to be evolving towards becoming a subspecies , as gene flow with other populations is very limited. Also, the paucity of morphological differences between

10044-499: The other half sleeps, was first demonstrated in mallards, although it is believed to be widespread among birds in general. Since 1998, the mallard has been rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species . This is because it has a large range–more than 20,000,000 km (7,700,000 mi) and because its population is increasing, rather than declining by 30% over ten years or three generations and thus

10152-522: The point of visiting water features in human courtyards . Mallards have had a long relationship with humans. Almost all domestic duck breeds derive from the mallard, with the exception of a few Muscovy breeds, and are listed under the trinomial name A. p. domesticus . Mallards are generally monogamous while domestic ducks are mostly polygamous . Domestic ducks have no territorial behaviour and are less aggressive than mallards. Domestic ducks are mostly kept for meat; their eggs are also eaten, and have

10260-415: The polar taxa are stockier overall. Examples of this rule in birds are rare as they lack external ears, but the bill of ducks is supplied with a few blood vessels to prevent heat loss, and, as in the Greenland mallard, the bill is smaller than that of birds farther south, illustrating the rule. Due to the variability of the mallard's genetic code, which gives it its vast interbreeding capability, mutations in

10368-502: The production of foie gras de canard . In some cultures the blood of ducks slaughtered for meat is used as food; it may be eaten seasoned and lightly cooked, as in Ireland, or be used as an ingredient, as in a number of regional types of blood soup , among them the czarnina of Poland and the tiết canh of Vietnam. Duck eggs are eaten mainly in Asian countries such as China; in

10476-526: The provisions of the ICZN Code, e.g., incorrect original or subsequent spellings, names published only in a thesis, and generic names published after 1930 with no type species indicated. According to "Glossary" section of the zoological Code, suppressed names (per published "Opinions" of the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature) remain available but cannot be used as the valid name for

10584-493: The same land; the ducks eat small pest animals in the crop; they stir the water, limiting weeds, and manure the rice. Other rice polycultures in the region include rice-fish-duck and rice-fish-duck- azolla systems, where fish further manure the rice and help to control pests. Domestic ducks have the advantage over other poultry of being strongly resistant to many bird diseases, including such serious conditions as duck plague (viral enteritis). They are however susceptible to

10692-497: The specific name particular to the wolf. A botanical example would be Hibiscus arnottianus , a particular species of the genus Hibiscus native to Hawaii. The specific name is written in lower-case and may be followed by subspecies names in zoology or a variety of infraspecific names in botany . When the generic name is already known from context, it may be shortened to its initial letter, for example, C. lupus in place of Canis lupus . Where species are further subdivided,

10800-412: The standard format for a species name comprises the generic name, indicating the genus to which the species belongs, followed by the specific epithet, which (within that genus) is unique to the species. For example, the gray wolf 's scientific name is Canis lupus , with Canis ( Latin for 'dog') being the generic name shared by the wolf's close relatives and lupus (Latin for 'wolf') being

10908-403: The taxon is termed a synonym ; some authors also include unavailable names in lists of synonyms as well as available names, such as misspellings, names previously published without fulfilling all of the requirements of the relevant nomenclatural code, and rejected or suppressed names. A particular genus name may have zero to many synonyms, the latter case generally if the genus has been known for

11016-566: The values quoted are the mean of "accepted" names alone (all "uncertain" names treated as unaccepted) and "accepted + uncertain" names (all "uncertain" names treated as accepted), with the associated range of uncertainty indicating these two extremes. Within Animalia, the largest phylum is Arthropoda , with 151,697 ± 33,160 accepted genus names, of which 114,387 ± 27,654 are insects (class Insecta). Within Plantae, Tracheophyta (vascular plants) make up

11124-429: The virus species " Salmonid herpesvirus 1 ", " Salmonid herpesvirus 2 " and " Salmonid herpesvirus 3 " are all within the genus Salmonivirus ; however, the genus to which the species with the formal names " Everglades virus " and " Ross River virus " are assigned is Alphavirus . As with scientific names at other ranks, in all groups other than viruses, names of genera may be cited with their authorities, typically in

11232-518: The vocalisations of the mallard varies depending on their environment and have something akin to a regional accent , with urban mallards in London being much louder and more vociferous compared to rural mallards in Cornwall , serving as an adaptation to persistent levels of anthropogenic noise. When incubating a nest, or when offspring are present, females vocalise differently, making a call that sounds like

11340-512: The west, Scandinavia and Britain to the north, and to Siberia, Japan, and South Korea. Also in the east, it ranges to south-eastern and south-western Australia and New Zealand in the Southern hemisphere. It is strongly migratory in the northern parts of its breeding range, and winters farther south. For example, in North America, it winters south to the southern United States and northern Mexico , but also regularly strays into Central America and

11448-716: The wild, not domesticated; there was no duck breeding in Roman times, so eggs from wild ducks were needed to start duck farms. Mallards were domesticated in Eurasia. The Muscovy duck was domesticated in Mexico and South America. Most breeds and varieties of domestic duck derive from the mallard , Anas platyrhynchos ; a few derive from Cairina moschata , the Muscovy duck, or are mulards , hybrids of these with A. platyrhynchos stock. Domestication has greatly altered their characteristics. Domestic ducks are mostly promiscuous , where wild mallards are monogamous . Domestic ducks have lost

11556-516: Was generally preferred until 1906 when Einar Lönnberg established that A.   platyrhynchos had priority, as it appeared on an earlier page in the text. The scientific name comes from Latin Anas , "duck" and Ancient Greek πλατυρυγχος, platyrhynchus , "broad-billed" (from πλατύς, platys , "broad" and ρυγχός, rhunkhos , "bill"). The genome of Anas platyrhynchos was sequenced in 2013. The name mallard originally referred to any wild drake, and it

11664-420: Was in China, where more than 3.6 billion ducks were killed, yielding some 4.9 million tonnes of meat. Worldwide production of duck meat was substantially lower than that of chicken – 73.8 billion birds slaughtered, 121.6 million tonnes – but considerably greater than that of goose – about 750 million birds killed for 4.4 million tonnes of meat. Feathers are a by-product of duck farming. Since ancient times,

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