The wild duck is a dabbling duck species with a robust body and short neck, with males featuring characteristic iridescent green heads and chestnut breasts, while females display mottled brown plumage providing effective camouflage. These birds have wings with white-bordered iridescent speculum and pale abdomen, adaptations that enable efficient flight and shallow diving for feeding.
Habits
Wild ducks practice “dabbling “(feeding at the water’s surface) and are predominantly diurnal; during breeding season they display complex courtship behaviors, and most populations migrate long distances, forming flocks that conserve energy by flying in a “V” formation”.
Reproduction
They mate during late winter and spring and do not form lifelong pairs; the female lays 8-13 eggs in a ground nest, and the incubation period lasts 26-30 days, with ducklings able to follow their mother shortly after hatching.
Distribution
Native to temperate and subtropical regions of North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, the wild duck has been introduced to South America, Oceania, and southern Africa, adapting to a wide range of aquatic habitats, from marshes and lakes to urban ponds.
