Mallard vs Marbled Duck
Anas platyrhynchos compared with Marmaronetta angustirostris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Mallard | Marbled Duck |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anas platyrhynchos | Marmaronetta angustirostris |
| Order | Anseriformes | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae | Anatidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | 58.0 cm (22.8 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 90.0 cm (35.4 in) | 40.1 cm (15.8 in) |
| Weight | 1100.0 g (38.80 oz) | 422.5 g (14.90 oz) |
| Diet | Omnivorous — aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. Feeds by dabbling, upending, and grazing … | Dives for molluscs, crustaceans, and small fish; diet dominated by hard-shelled benthic invertebrates in coastal … |
| Clutch Size | 4-18 | 5-20 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Mallard
Nearly any wetland habitat including lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes, estuaries, and urban park ponds.
Marbled Duck
Shallow densely vegetated freshwater and brackish marshes, rice paddies, and lagoons in the Mediterranean basin, Middle East, and Central Asia. Winters in Africa and South Asia. Dependent on emergent wetland vegetation.
Song & Call Comparison
Mallard
Female gives the classic 'quack-quack-quack', descending in pitch. Male utters soft nasal 'raeb-raeb'. Both give a high 'gag-gag-gag' when alarmed or taking flight.
Marbled Duck
Male gives a low, guttural chuckling; female produces a nasal, rattling quack. Calls are relatively quiet for a duck; the chuckling male call is unusual among Eurasian and North African …
Geographic Range & Migration
Mallard
Native across the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Europe, and Asia. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand.
Marbled Duck
Breeds in the high Arctic; winters on the open Atlantic Ocean and along coastlines from Labrador to the Gulf of Mexico.
Conservation Status
Mallard
Marbled Duck
How to Tell Them Apart
Mallard
Breeding males have an iridescent green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast, and grey body. Females are mottled brown. Both sexes show a blue speculum bordered by white.
Broad, flat bill — yellow-green in males, orange-brown in females
Marbled Duck
Pale sandy-buff plumage with bold white spots throughout; distinctive marbled pattern. Dark eye patch forming mask. Pale face and throat. No iridescent speculum. Gray bill; gray legs. Sexes similar. Mediterranean …
About These Birds
Mallard
The mallard is the ancestor of most domestic duck breeds and the most abundant and widespread dabbling duck in the world. Males perform elaborate courtship displays including head-bobbing and whistle-grunt calls. Mallards are highly adaptable, thriving in both wilderness and urban environments.
Marbled Duck
A pale sandy-buff duck with distinctive marbled dark and light brown spotting on body and wings, a dark eyepatch, and pale bill. Found in Mediterranean scrub-wetlands and Middle Eastern marshes. Migratory; breeds in southern Europe and central Asia, winters in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.