Picture or 1,000 Words? Mallard Duckling making a running leap into the water from the rock ledge at Argyle Lake, Babylon, Long Island. Mallard ducks are the most common & recognizable wild ducks in the Northern Hemisphere. They spend most of their time near natural bodies of water (ponds, marshes, streams, & lakes) where they feed on plants, invertebrates, fish, and insects. Mallards are dabbling, or surface-feeding, ducks because they eat by tipping underwater for food—head down, feet and tail in the air—rather than diving. Mallards also forage and graze for food on land. The male mallard duck, called a drake, sports a glossy green head, a white ring around its neck and a rich, chestnut-brown breast. The mallard duck's outer feathers are waterproof, because of an oil that’s secreted from a gland near the tail. Soon after birth, baby ducks, called ducklings, open their eyes. A little more than a day after hatching, ducklings can run, swim, and foragefor food on their own. They stay in the nest for less than a month. A group of ducklings is called a brood. Outside the nest, the brood sticks close by the mother for safety, often following behind her in a neat, single-file line. Mallard Duckling making a running leap into the water from the rock ledge at Argyle Lake, Babylon, Long Island. Mallard ducks are the most common & recognizable wild ducks in the Northern Hemisphere. They spend most of their time near natural bodies of water (ponds, marshes, streams, & lakes) where they feed on plants, invertebrates, fish, and insects. Mallards are dabbling, or surface-feeding, ducks because they eat by tipping underwater for food—head down, feet and tail in the air— rather than diving. Mallards also forage and graze for food on land. The male mallard duck, called a drake, sports a glossy green head, a white ring around its neck and a rich, chestnut-brown breast. The mallard duck's outer feathers are waterproof, because of an oil that’s secreted from a gland near the tail. Soon after birth, baby ducks, called ducklings, open their eyes. A little more than a day after hatching, ducklings can run, swim, and forage for food on their own. They stay in the nest for less than a month. A group of ducklings is called a brood. Outside the nest, the brood sticks close by the mother for safety, often following behind her in a neat, single-file line. Mallard Duckling making a running leap into the water from the rock ledge at Argyle Lake, Babylon, Long Island. Mallard ducks are the most common & recognizable wild ducks in the Northern Hemisphere. They spend most of their time near natural bodies of water (ponds, marshes, streams, & lakes) where they feed on plants, invertebrates, fish, and insects. Mallards are dabbling, or surface-feeding, ducks because they eat by tipping underwater for food—head down, feet and tail in the air—rather than diving. Mallards also forage and graze for food on land. The male mallard duck, called a drake, sports a glossy green head, a white ring around its neck and a rich, chestnut-brown breast. The mallard duck's outer feathers are waterproof, because of an oil that’s secreted from a gland near the tail. Soon after birth, baby ducks, called ducklings, open their eyes. A little more than a day after hatching, ducklings can run, swim, and forage for food on their own. They stay in the nest for less than a month. A group of ducklings is called a brood. Outside the nest, the brood sticks close by the mother for safety, often following behind her in a neat, single-file line. Mallard Duckling making a running leap into the water from the rock ledge at Argyle Lake, Babylon, Long Island. Mallard ducks are the most common & recognizable wild ducks in the Northern Hemisphere. They spend most of their time near natural bodies of water (ponds, marshes, streams, & lakes) where they feed on plants, invertebrates, fish, and insects. Mallards are dabbling, or surface-feeding, ducks because they eat by tipping underwater for food—head down, feet and tail in the air—rather than diving. Mallards also forage and graze for food on land. The male mallard duck, called a drake, sports a glossy green head, a white ring around its neck and a rich, chestnut-brown breast. The mallard duck's outer feathers are waterproof, because of an oil that’s secreted from a gland near the tail. Soon after birth, baby ducks, called ducklings, open their eyes. A little more than a day after hatching, ducklings can run, swim, and forage for food on their own. They stay in the nest for less than a month. A group of ducklings is called a brood. Outside the nest, the brood sticks close by the mother for safety, often following behind her in a neat, single-file line. Mallard Duckling making a running leap into the water from the rock ledge at Argyle Lake, Babylon, Long Island. Mallard ducks are the most common & recognizable wild ducks in the Northern Hemisphere. They spend most of their time near natural bodies of water (ponds, marshes, streams, & lakes) where they feed on plants, invertebrates, fish, and insects. Mallards are dabbling, or surface-feeding, ducks because they eat by tipping underwater for food—head down, feet and tail in the air—rather than diving. Mallards also forage and graze for food on land. The male mallard duck, called a drake, sports a glossy green head, a white ring around its neck and a rich, chestnut-brown breast. The mallard duck's outer feathers are waterproof, because of an oil that’s secreted from a gland near the tail. Soon after birth, baby ducks, called ducklings, open their eyes. A little more than a day after hatching, ducklings can run, swim, and foragefor foodon their own. They stay in the nest for less than a month.A group of ducklingsis called a brood. Outsidethe nest, the brood sticksclose Source: Photo Credit = Beth A Keiser, AP Internet Trends 87 2019