English: Mallard, Green-headed, Northern Mallard
Russian: Кряква
German: Stockente
French: Canard colvert
Mongolian: Зэрлэг нугас
Japanese: マガモ (Ma-gamo)

Body Length: 50-60 cm
Wing span: 81-95 cm

Breeding visitor
Breeding season:  May-September

Egg number: 10-12 (occasionally 7-16)
Egg color: Glossy pale green
Brood: 1 per year

Global status: Least concern
Regional status:  Least Concern

Habitat: Most familiar duck, and ancestor of domestic duck. Breeds in parks, bu canals in towns, on eutrophic lakes, woodland marshes, seashores; accepts very small waters (tiny pools, ditches, etc.) Resident in much on Europe except in N an E, where it retreats from the ice in winter. Wide range of nest sites: under bush, tree-hole, artificial nest-basket, near or on buildings.

Identification: Large, with stocky build. Head and bill large, tail short. In flight, looks heavy, wings rather blunt-tipped and broad, especially at base, wingbeats moderately quick. Legs orange. Often told by size, shape, and dark blue speculum very prominently bordered white.

• Adult ♂ breeding: Head metallic green, narrow white neck-collar, breast purplish-brown, rest of body largely pale grey, stern black, central tail-feathers upcurled; the bill is uniform dull yellow.
• Adult ♀: Streaked brown, crown and eye-stripe darker, leaving pale supercilium; bill orange, with blackish culmen irregularly invading sides of bill at centre; outer tail-feathers dusky buff-white; in flight, note medium dark belly and whitish underwing-coverts.
• Adult ♂ eclipse: Like ♀, but bill uniform yellow, breast tinged rufous and less well, marked; head slightly more contrasting.
• Juvenile: Very similar to adult ♀.

Food:  Vegetable matter, usually obtained by upending.