Mallard in December

December is the start of the true winter season. Birds are settled into winter ranges and flocking behavior peaks — mixed flocks move through woods and yards together, and feeding stations become social hubs. Short days mean birds must find most of their food in a few hours of daylight.

For the Mallard specifically, December is a winter month of relative routine, with the species settled into its seasonal pattern across its range. Across the 62 states and provinces where mallards occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.

Southern states

absent

Mid-latitudes

year-round resident

Northern states & Canada

absent

In December, mallards are absent in the South, year-round resident across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.

Mallards are not nesting in December. The season runs March–June at mid-latitudes.

Outside the nesting season, mallards put their energy into feeding and flocking rather than territory and young — which is exactly what makes them easier to watch and attract this month.

• Corn, wheat and acorns in flooded fields

Tame park and pond ducks; feed sparingly and skip bread, which harms water quality and duck health.

Feeders are busiest at dawn and dusk as birds fuel up against long cold nights. Suet and other high-fat foods earn their keep this month.

Full Mallard diet guide → · Best feeder for mallards →

Mallards are settled and predictable in December, which makes this a good month to learn the bird's routine — same feeders, same perches, same times of day.

The state guides below show exactly where in your region mallards are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.

AlabamaAlaskaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaine