The Mallard is the most common duck in Ireland. You will see many of them all over the country. There are about twenty of them on the boating lake in Tramore. You will them on many types of water, including lake, ponds, and waterways. One of the reasons mallard are so successful is because it has adapted to living alongside people. It doesn’t mind walking close to people at all. Mallards are fairly large ducks.

The bill is a yellowish-green and the legs are orange. The bill is a yellowish colour. Both male and female have a blue-green patch on the wing edged on both sides with white.

During the winter the male drake loses his bright colours. Mallards usually build their nests on the ground. Nesting begins in March when usually ten to twelve greyish-green eggs are laid. The female bird cares for the eggs and young bird. During the shooting season the mallard is a favourite target for wild fowlers and many are shot during this period. We also get birds here that come from the continent of Europe. Large number of mallard are reared by gun clubs and released onto ponds and marshes all over the country. I think it is cruel to shoot birds as beautiful as these. I cannot understand why any person would want to shoot ducks. Duck is nice to eat. They sell duck down in Super Valu Supermarket here in Tramore. They are usually very greasy.

Issued on May 23rd. as part of the "Flora and Fauna " series.