You may have vegetation and water that provides them with resources to live and build a nest in hopes they will succeed in raising a brood. Your yard may be providing ducks with the ideal place to build a nest. Nests can be located 100 feet or less from open water and can be found in woods, fields, or cattails. It starts out as a few scrapes in the ground, and once eggs are laid, leaves, grass, reeds, and down feathers from the females’ breast are added for protection. The nest may be located under shrubs, bushes, in an open field, garden, tall grass, or on muskrat homes. The female is more persistent in the search and will quack often, accompanied by alertness. In the early evening for a week or more, a Mallard pair will be searching for a place to build a nest. These birds can be secretive during the breeding seasons and may nest in places that are not easily accessible. Mallards build their nests between April-May and breed through the beginning of August. They often defend the territory to isolate the female from other males from April-mid May. Mallards begin to defend a territory about 200 yards from where the nesting takes place. In many western states, Mallards are present year round. For migrating Mallards, spring migration begins in March. Many migrating individuals spend their winters in the Gulf Coast and fly to the Northern U.S. Mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos) often migrate unless there is sufficient food and water available throughout the year. Photo Courtesy of the National Conservation Training Center. Image Details Mallard nest with eggs and ducklings.
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