# What Do Mallards Eat?

> What mallards eat: Omnivore — plants, seeds, invertebrates, and grain, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Ponds, rivers, marshes, and parks worldwide.

- **Species:** Mallard (*Anas platyrhynchos*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Omnivore — plants, seeds, invertebrates, and grain
- **Habitat:** Ponds, rivers, marshes, and parks worldwide
- **Lifespan:** 5–10 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 80 km/h (50 mph) in flight
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/duck/what-do-duck-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/duck/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is the familiar puddle duck of ponds, rivers, marshes, and parks across much of the world. Males sport a glossy green head, while females are mottled brown; both weigh around 0.7 to 1.4 kg (1.5 to 3.1 lb). Mallards are dabbling omnivores that feed at the water's surface and are strong fliers, reaching up to 80 km/h (50 mph). Common and widespread, they are listed as Least Concern and live around 5 to 10 years in the wild.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## Appearance and identification

The mallard is one of the most recognisable ducks in the world, thanks to the drake's iridescent bottle-green head, white neck ring, and chestnut breast. The female, or hen, is mottled brown, which camouflages her on the nest, but both sexes share a bright blue wing patch called the speculum, bordered with white. Adults measure around 0.6 m (about 2 ft) in length and weigh roughly 0.7 to 1.4 kg (1.5 to 3.1 lb), with drakes slightly larger. In late summer the drake moults into a drab "eclipse" plumage that briefly resembles the female.

## Help protect the Mallard

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

---
Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/duck/what-do-duck-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.