This most familiar of ducks is a winter visitor. As with most ducks, the male and female have very different plumages. The male is colourful in order to attract a mate, while the female is cryptically coloured to camouflage her while sitting on the nest. Although a bird of ponds and lakes, the Mallard will feed in areas of wet grass. Typically the male is silent, while the female utters the famous "quack-quack" call.
