Bird Spotting: Male mallards create a spectacular sight while bobbing along the surface of a pond. Their striking green head set off by a white neck ring makes this duck easily identifiable. The body is grayish brown and the speculum, the secondary feathers located on the back inner portion of the wing, are a metallic purplish blue, with a white border. Females are mottled brown with a white tail and purplish-blue speculum.

Habitat: Mallards can be found in ponds, lakes and marshes.

Nesting: Mallard nests are bowl shaped and made of grass. To protect their eight to 10 pale greenish-buff eggs, nests are hidden in marsh grass or on brush piles near the shore.

Bird Bite: The mallard is the most abundant duck in the world.

Backyard Tip: Mallards enjoy the fruits of shagbark hickory. Another food source, the fallen acorns of the white oak tree, are swallowed whole.