Common Name: Mallard, Mallard Duck
Scientific Name: Anas platyrhynchos
A large group of ducks is called a raft, and mallards will frequently form large roosting colonies in the winter. This is not only a protection measure against predators, but also because favored food sources and open water are more scarce.
Large rafts of mallards are also common in all seasons when food sources are plentiful, such as in urban parks or popular nesting grounds. In prime feeding or nesting areas, mallards may mix with other duck species and waterfowl, including northern pintails, American wigeons, gadwalls, ring-necked ducks, American coots and Canada geese. So long as food remains plentiful, large mixed flocks are common, but the birds will begin to separate and seek better areas if resources run out.
Photo © Aske Holst