Diet
What do mallards eat?
Dabbles for seeds, aquatic plants and invertebrates.
Ducks and geese (Anatidae)MallardAnas platyrhynchos
Spring and summer diet
- Duckweed, pondweed and aquatic insects
Fall and winter diet
- Corn, wheat and acorns in flooded fields
Best feeder foods
- Cracked corn
- Duck pellets
Tame park and pond ducks; feed sparingly and skip bread, which harms water quality and duck health.
Where mallards need winter food
Regions where mallards are present in the cold months:
AlabamaAlaskaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundland and LabradorNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandQuebecRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingYukon
Frequently asked
What do mallards eat?
Dabbles for seeds, aquatic plants and invertebrates.
What is the best food to feed mallards?
Cracked corn, Duck pellets.
What do mallards eat in winter?
Corn, wheat and acorns in flooded fields.
Sources
- Mallard — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Mallard life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Mallard — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.