The bird eats invertebrates and plants and is valuable in the wild for destroying mosquito larvae. The down-lined nest of the mallard is built near ponds or in grassland. The female alone cares for the eight to ten young. DUCK Duck, name collectively applied to numerous species of a family of waterfowl. Ducks differ from geese and swans of the same family by their shorter necks and legs and other anatomical differences.
Ducks inhabit all continents except Antarctica, and most of the world's islands.
The legs of most ducks are placed far apart and toward the rear, making them awkward walkers but efficient swimmers. Ducks, with the exception of mergansers have spatulate bills lined with bony notches, or lamellae, for straining plant and animal matter from water. Some island species have lost the power of flight, but most ducks of northern continents are highly migratory. In a few species, the sexes are alike in color, but in most the males are brighter and more boldly patterned. Most familiar are the dabbling or surface-feeding ducks, which include the mallard, ancestor of most domestic ducks.