Mallards—perhaps the most recognizable and widespread duck in the world—are part of the group known as dabbling ducks. These birds forage by tipping upside-down in the water to uproot and eat aquatic plants as well as insect larvae and freshwater shrimp. Spending large amounts of time with their heads underwater leaves them vulnerable to predators. One solution to this hazard is feeding in flocks, where there are multiple pairs of eyes looking for danger.

Waterfowl are all around us. Are you confident identifying them even when they’re on the other side of the pond? Get training in identifying waterfowl from all angles and benefit from strategies like noticing “where is the white?” to take your birding skills to the next level.
Learn More: Duck and Waterfowl Identification Course

This video accompanies Chapter 8, Avian Food and Foraging, Handbook of Bird Biology, 3rd Edition from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Wiley Publishing.

Recorded by Benjamin M Clock/Macaulay Library