Gray feathers cover the back, and the center of the tail has black feathers that curl up at the end. The female has duller, brownish features. The male loses its bright-colored feathers after breeding and becomes similar in appearance to the female. During warmer months, mallard nest chiefly near northern prairie marshes and ponds. They migrate to southern wetlands for winter.
Most mallards nest on the ground.
The males flock together after the eggs are laid, and the young are card for by the females.