The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-19
THE MIGRATORY mALLARD.
No Bird in Existence Enjoys "a Wider
Range.


from Forest and Strearn-l
No one Of our ducks has a wider range
than the mallard. which, as has been said.
is the progenitor Of the common 5iones Lic
duck II is found over the entire north
ern portion OF the world, and in America
as far south as Mexico, While in Europe
it breeds in Southern Spain and Greece
II IS believed TO be common throughout
Asia except in tropical India and il is
more or less abundant in Northern Africa
Although a migratory bird, the maIIard
may usually be found throughout its range
in winter. provided there is open water,
and so a place where it may feed.
n many places in the Northern Rocky
Mountains, where the temperature often
goes to 30 and 20 degrees below zero,
mallards may be found throughout the
winter living in warm springs or along
swift streams where the current is so rap
id that the water never freezes Thus it
is seen that the winters cold has little to
do with the migration Of the LlallaTd-Or
in fact, with that of many other ducks
and that II food is plentiful the birds can
bear almost any degree OF cold II is the
freezing Of the waters, and thus shutting
OF the food supply. that forces these in
land birds to move southwark
In the New England States the mallard
is not common bird. but in the Southern
States. the interior. and California it is
extremely abundant
In the Northern interior the mallard is
shot from early October until the waters
close n November. and all through the
winter il is abundant in the Southern
States Here II feeds in the marshes
along the salt water. in the rice fields.
and along the sloughs and streams
throughout the interior and becomes fat
and well favored and IS eagerly pursued.
II comes readily 10 decOys. and il one or
more live ducks are tethered with the de
c1ys to call down the wild birds they are
quite certain to respond and 10 offer easy
shooting TO the gunner Formerly the
maIlard bred in considerable numbers
within the limits of the United States.
though II has never been a common bird
at any season on the Atlantic coast north
OF New York. 1t formerly bred however
N great numbers in Illinois. Indiana
Wisconsin. Michigan. and Minnesota, as
veil as in the prairies Of the further West
and about aIkaIi lakes and pools on the
high central plateau. Now most OF the
birds proceed further north to breed, and
Canada the Hudson Bay country, and the
shores of the Arctic Sea are all occupied
by il during the nesting season. Dr.
Brewer states that 1t has been known IN
rare Instances TO nest in tree. in such
cases occupying deserted nest OF a haW
crow, or other large bird
The rnalIard is one OF our typical fresh
water ducks. It IS rarely OF never found
on salt water. hut on the other hand, is
common on the Iagoons along the Southern
Atlantic coast. which are brackish. Here
il associates with many other freshwater
ducks and is frequently seen flying in com
pany with black ducks, sprigtails, Widg-
cons. and other species
Perhaps no one Of our North American
ducks is so we'll known as the malIard and
vet Il has comparatively few common
names. II is called greenfield. wild drake.
wild duck, English duck, French duck, and
grey duck. OF. sometimes grey maIlard for
the female. In Canada the same stock
duck was formerly a progenitor OF the do
nestle duck The French Canadians call
il canara Francois. O. French duck. Mr.
Trumbull calls attention 10 the old but
now obsolte duckinm alard. a word sup
posed to be a corruption of duck and NAL
lard duck being the female and mallard the
male. The word is thus the equivalent OF
duck and drake. it having been the Gus
tom seemingly TO speak Of the species by
this double name