# Where Do Mallards Live?

> Where mallards live: Lakes, rivers, marshes, and city ponds, native range cues, and human overlap. Status Least Concern.

- **Species:** Mallard (*Anas platyrhynchos*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Omnivore (plants, seeds, insects, invertebrates)
- **Habitat:** Lakes, rivers, marshes, and city ponds
- **Lifespan:** 5–10 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** Up to 88 km/h (55 mph) in flight
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mallard/where-do-mallard-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mallard/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The mallard is the most common and widespread wild duck in the world and the ancestor of nearly all domestic ducks. The male has a glossy green head, yellow bill, and chestnut chest, while the female is mottled brown for camouflage. A dabbling duck of lakes, rivers, and city ponds, the mallard adapts to almost any wetland and usually lives 5 to 10 years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a sighting hotline. This page is native range and habitat.

## Appearance and the eclipse

The drake mallard is striking, with an iridescent green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast, and bright yellow bill, while the hen is mottled brown to stay hidden on the nest. Both show a blue-purple wing patch called a speculum. For a few weeks in summer the male molts into a dull, female-like "eclipse" plumage while he is briefly unable to fly.

## Help protect the Mallard

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

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

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