They will then use their foot to scratch their head feathers and arrange them. Then the mallard will remove all of the bad feathers. After these feathers are removed the bird will use its bill to collect and apply oil to its feathers to waterproof them. Finally, after all of this the mallard will find a quiet spot to rest to digest its meal. This process is then repeated again in the afternoon.
Mallards first breed late in their first year.
The pairs begin to bond in late August. They start out in what s called a social phase which is when the mallards swim together in groups and then pairs are formed and they leave the groups. The pairs do daily activities together. The drake and the hen search for a nest site at night together. The nest building begins in early to mid April.