Mallard — facts for kids
Anas platyrhynchos
The mallard swims on the lake all summer. She dips her head under the water with her tail straight up to graze on seeds at the bottom. Her feet can stand in ice-cold water without ever getting cold.
Field notes
How big?
About the size of a football with a neck
How heavy?
Like a big carton of milk
What does it eat?
Seeds, grass and small insects
When can you see it?
All year, wherever the water is open
How big is it?
Mallard is 50–60 cm long.
Look for this
Feathers by the shoreline and small webbed footprints in the mud. On the water you can see the rings she leaves behind.
How it sounds
A laughing quack-quack-quack. That is the female — the green-headed male hisses more quietly.
Fun to know
- A mallard's feet cannot freeze — the blood warms itself on the way back.
- The ducklings swim after their mother in a long line from their very first day.
- The male has a green head; the female is speckled brown so she hides in the reeds.
Questions kids ask about the mallard
Vad äter du?
Frön, gräs och små kryp. Jag dyker med huvudet under och stjärten rakt upp i luften.
Varför fryser du inte om fötterna?
Blodet på väg ut i fötterna värms av blodet på väg tillbaka. Därför står jag i iskallt vatten utan att frysa.
Var är dina ungar?
De simmar efter mamma i en lång rad redan första dagen de kläckts.
Try it right here
Meet the mallard for real
Around Lake Sidsjön in Sundsvall, Sweden, the animals stand in their real places. Come within ten metres and the mallard comes alive in the phone and answers children's questions. The trail is in Swedish.