Bird of the Day - Mallard

The mallard is one of the most widespread ducks in the world.  It has populations in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.  The only continent in which it does not reside is Antarctica.

An interesting fact about mallards is that the males arrive with their bright colors in the spring, turn brown (like the females) for much of the summer, and have the bright feathers again when they depart on their migration in the autumn.  The reason for this is autumn is courtship season, and spring is mating season.  They don't need to have their bright feathers in the middle of the summer to attract a mate, and those fancy feathers take a lot more upkeep than the duller brown feathers.