Mallard
Amazing fact
After breeding, mallards form flocks and migrate south to warmer places.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
After breeding, mallards form flocks and migrate south to warmer places.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Mallard
- Scientific name
- Anas platyrhynchos
- Japanese name
- マガモ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Anas
It is a duck that flies from Russia to Japan for the winter, and it is also the ancestor of the domestic duck.
In the breeding season, the male's head turns a glossy green, and he has curled black feathers on his tail.
It rests by the water during the day, and at night it moves to shallows and tidal flats to eat plant seeds, insects and other food.
How the Mallard lives
In the warmer areas, they feed and wait for the next breeding season. Some stay through winter where food and shelter are abundant. A female calls to bring other ducks, such as her ducklings, to her.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
- Size
- Total length: about 60 cm
- Diet
- Plants such as grains and aquatic plants, small aquatic animals, and other foods
- Range
- Japan, Asia, and Europe
Where the Mallard has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- マガモ
- 简体中文
- 绿头鸭
- 繁體中文
- 綠頭鴨
- 한국어
- 청둥오리
- Español
- Ánade real
- Français
- Canard colvert
- Deutsch
- Stockente
- Português (Brasil)
- Pato-real
- Italiano
- Germano reale
- हिन्दी
- नीलसर
- العربية
- بركة
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Itik melewar
- Tiếng Việt
- Vịt cổ xanh
- Русский
- Кряква
- Türkçe
- Yeşilbaş
- ไทย
- เป็ดแมลลาร์ด
- বাংলা
- নীলশির
- اردو
- میلارڈ
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 井の頭自然文化園 — マガモChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Anas platyrhynchosChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Mallard, look for this
- Look for the iridescent blue patch on the wings of both males and females.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Mallard
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Anatidae
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