The Mallard Duck: A Homeschool Nature Study Favorite {Week 14 of One Year Pond vStudy}

If your homeschool family spends time near ponds, lakes, or even large puddles after a rainy week, chances are you’ve already met one of the UK’s most recognizable birds: the mallard duck. With their bold colours, friendly waddles, and surprisingly interesting behaviours, mallards make a perfect (and free!) nature study topic for learners of all ages.

Find out more! If you’d like to know more about why we decided to do a year long pond study, this is the post for you!

Why the Mallard Duck is Perfect for Homeschool Nature Study

Mallards are literally everywhere—city parks, suburban retention ponds, rural wetlands, and wildlife preserves. Because they’re so adaptable, they offer ongoing, year-round opportunities for observation. Unlike some wildlife that disappears the moment you whisper, “Kids, look over there!” mallards tend to be unfazed by humans (especially the ones hoping for bread—though we’ll talk about why bread isn’t ideal in a moment!). They are always found in groups:

Read More! Last week we learnt all about the variety of pond birds in the UK

Observing mallards can help kids practice:

• Bird identification
• Life cycle studies
• Animal behavior journaling
• Ecosystem and habitat discussions
• Art and science notebooking
• Ethical wildlife interaction

Click here to read about the animals and plants we have found around our pond

How to Identify the Mallard Duck

If your kids enjoy spotting patterns and colors, mallards are an easy win.

Male Mallard (drake)

• Emerald-green head
• Bright yellow bill
• Gray body with a chestnut breast
• Distinctive curled black feather at the tail (bonus points if your kids spot it!)

Female mallard (hen)

• Mottled brown feathers
• Orange-and-brown bill
• Excellent camouflage—great for talking about survival adaptations

Both sexes share a beautiful iridescent blue patch on their wings, called a speculum. It’s visible when they stretch or fly, so encourage your kids to watch carefully.

Read more!  You can find our study of pond fauna here

Fun Mallard Behaviors to Look For

Observing behavior is one of the best nature study habits, and mallards offer plenty to see:

Dabbling: Mallards tip forward with their tails in the air while feeding underwater. Younger kids find this hilarious.

Preening: Watch how often they clean their feathers! This is a great time to introduce the concept of waterproofing and the oil gland near the tail.

Courtship displays: In late winter and early spring, males perform head bobs, wing flaps, and synchronized swimming to impress females. Here are the males fighting for the female who stands by watching:

Read about our very own pond ecosystem as well as our examination of the pond water

And sometimes they can get very hurt:

If hurt they will tend to their own wounds and are so hardy they heal readily:

Duckling “school”: After hatching, ducklings stick close to mom—but you may see small groups practicing foraging, diving, and following routines.

Pond pollution is one thing that would affect the number and variety of plants and trees in our UK pond. Read about it here and see what we found.

A Quick Note on Feeding Ducks

Many kids instinctively want to feed ducks, and while it’s sweet, bread actually causes health problems for mallards and pollutes waterways. Instead, bring:

• Cracked corn
• Birdseed
• Defrosted peas
• Oats or barley

Turning this into a mini lesson about responsible wildlife interaction fits nicely into both science and character study.

Read More! I thought I’d direct you to our Ash Tree Study which we began right at the start of our pond study and its extension Ash Tree and Lichen

Extend the Learning: Mallard-Themed Activities

Here are a few easy homeschool projects:

1. Nature Journal Entry
Have your kids sketch a male and female mallard, labeling the differences.

2. Waterproof Feather Experiment
Use a feather and a dropper of water—kids can observe how water beads up, then compare what happens when the feather is washed with dish soap.

3. Migration Map
Trace the migratory paths of mallards and identify flyways across North America. This ties nicely into geography.

4. Duckling Growth Timeline
Mallards grow incredibly fast. Create a chart comparing duckling development to chick or human development.

5. Poetry Prompt
Older students can write a sensory poem describing a mallard’s movements, sounds, or colors.

Fancy doing some pond art? Read here for our bark rubbings and leave hammering

Wrapping Up

Mallards aren’t just pond decorations—they’re living, quacking entry points into biology, ecology, geography, and art. They’re also incredibly accessible, making it easy for homeschool families to build consistent, meaningful nature study habits.

Next time you’re near water, pause for a moment and see what the mallards are up to. Bring a notebook, bring your curiosity, and let the ducks lead the lesson.