mallard

Everyday

A mallard is the most common wild duck; the male (drake) has a shiny green head, a white ring round the neck and a grey body, and the female is speckled brown. tree →

In the lessons

In science and nature lessons it is the duck children see on ponds and rivers in Britain, Ireland, North America, Australia and NZ; most farm ducks come from mallards. In history, «Mallard» is also the name of a famous British steam train that set the world speed record for steam in 1938 (126 mph). Phrases: «a pair of mallards», «mallard ducklings».

Examples

• A mallard swam across the pond. tree →
• The male mallard has a bright green head. tree →
• The female mallard is brown so she is hidden on the nest. tree →
• Mallard ducklings followed their mother in a line. tree →
• Don't feed the mallards bread — give them peas or oats instead. tree →
• The steam engine Mallard is the fastest steam locomotive. tree →

Note

Plural: mallards, or mallard for a group (like «fish»). Pronounced «MAL-ard». The male is a drake, the female a duck, the young are ducklings. Bread is not good for ducks; it can make them ill and pollute the water.