New York Zoological Society. 
MALLARD DUCKS (Anas platyrhynchos) . Length: 2 feet. Range: Northern 
Hemisphere. 
During the breeding season the male mallards swim about, nodding their 
heads in all directions and whistling to impress the females. Ducks in the wild 
are monogamous; domesticated, they become polygamous. The flying speed of 
the mallard is estimated at a mile a minute. 
Clifford, Sutcliffe, Federal Writers 9 Project. 
MALLARD DUCK NEST¬ 
ING. The nest is usu¬ 
ally built among reeds 
or high grass near the 
water, and often con¬ 
tains as many as thir¬ 
teen eggs. Occasionally 
two ducks will brood on 
the same nest at the 
same time. 
