Bird
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Lives in North Carolina all year and nests here. Found in all 100 counties, across 16 habitats.
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 100 counties
- Habitats
- 16
At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 100 counties
- Habitats
- 16
- Habitat models
- Summer, Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in North Carolina 16
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 16
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Streams, rivers and their banks
Open sand of beaches, dunes and the hollows between them.
Coastal tidal marshes (salinity not stated)
Tidal marshes of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts where the source does not say whether the water is fresh, brackish or salt. A stated salinity files the marsh under freshwater tidal marshes or salt and brackish marshes instead.
Depression ponds and limesinks
Shallow ponds in Coastal Plain depressions, such as limesinks and the ponds in some Carolina bays, that rise and fall with the seasons.
Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Wet ground taken over by weedy or introduced plants after disturbance, such as common reed, Chinese tallow or tamarisk stands; the upland counterpart is roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.
Marshes along tidal rivers where the water is fresh but rises and falls with the tide.
Flat, poorly drained uplands and terraces with oaks, sweetgum and sometimes loblolly pine, wet in winter and dry in summer, but neither a floodplain nor a swamp.
Wet, open, peaty mountain wetlands fed by seepage, often with sphagnum moss.
Dense evergreen shrub wetlands and bay forests on wet, acid peat of the Coastal Plain.
Places where groundwater keeps the soil or rock wet, such as seepage slopes and spring runs.
Open, wet, grassy or sedgy ground that is not a bog.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Other habitats in its models (54)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in North Carolina. Those recorded in North Carolina first, the rest by region.
Elsewhere in the South (29)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Indian River Lagoon Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Tidal Wooded Swamp Summer and winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Riparian Forest Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
- Mississippi River Bottomland Depression Summer.
- Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest Summer and winter.
- Mississippi River Riparian Forest Summer.
- South Florida Everglades Sawgrass Marsh Winter.
- South Florida Freshwater Slough and Gator Hole Winter.
- South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Winter.
- South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Summer.
- Southern Coastal Plain Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Herbaceous Seepage Bog Summer.
- Southern Coastal Plain Hydric Hammock Summer.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp Summer.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Cypress Dome Summer.
- Southern Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp Summer and winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Winter, only within 250 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Winter, only within 250 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Summer and winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Forest Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Floodplain Summer.
Northeast (2)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Summer and winter.
Midwest (2)
- Western Great Plains Open Freshwater Depression Wetland Summer.
- Western Great Plains Saline Depression Wetland Summer.
Land cover and other classes (21)
- Developed, Low Intensity Winter, beside its main habitat.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Summer and winter.
- Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.
- Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Summer and winter.
- Lower Mississippi River Bottomland Depressions - Forest Modifier Summer.
- Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest Summer and winter.
- Open Water (Aquaculture) Summer and winter.
- South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Bay/Gum Modifier Summer.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Clethra Modifier Summer.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Nupea Modifier Summer.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Pine Modifier Summer.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Taxodium Modifier Summer.
- Tamaulipan Riparian Systems Winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore Summer and winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Depressional Wetland Systems Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.
Seasons in North Carolina
- Year-round: nests here, in all 100 counties.
- Winter: does not nest here, in 14 of 100 counties.
Food plants
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Plants matched by genus.
Native plants in these genera 272
- Alga-like PondweedPotamogeton confervoides
- Clasping-leaf PondweedPotamogeton perfoliatus
- Illinois PondweedPotamogeton illinoensis
- Largeleaf PondweedPotamogeton amplifolius
- Leafy PondweedPotamogeton foliosus
- Longleaf PondweedPotamogeton nodosus
- Ribbonleaf PondweedPotamogeton epihydrus
- Small PondweedPotamogeton pusillus
- Snail-seed PondweedPotamogeton bicupulatus
- Spotted PondweedPotamogeton pulcher
- Waterthread PondweedPotamogeton diversifolius
- Appalachian Woodland SedgeCarex austrolucorum
- Gator SedgeCarex gator
- Great Smoky Mountain SedgeCarex fumosimontana
- Silvery SedgeCarex disjuncta
- Broadleaf SedgeCarex platyphylla
- James's SedgeCarex jamesii
- Longstalk SedgeCarex pedunculata
- Plantainleaf SedgeCarex plantaginea
- Rich-woods SedgeCarex oligocarpa
- Spreading SedgeCarex laxiculmis
- Allegheny SedgeCarex allegheniensis
- Appalachian SedgeCarex appalachica
- Awl-fruit SedgeCarex stipata
Plant genera in its diet records (24)
- Potamogeton Seeds and leaves. 9 diet records. 11 native plants in North Carolina
- Carex Seeds. 5 diet records. 148 native plants in North Carolina
- Lemna 3 diet records. 7 native plants in North Carolina
- Ceratophyllum Fruit and seeds. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in North Carolina
- Echinochloa Seeds. 2 diet records. 2 native plants in North Carolina
- Myriophyllum Seeds. 2 diet records. 4 native plants in North Carolina
- Polygonum Seeds. 2 diet records. 5 native plants in North Carolina
- Sagittaria Seeds and roots. 2 diet records. 13 native plants in North Carolina
- Schoenoplectus Seeds. 2 diet records. 6 native plants in North Carolina
- Scirpus Seeds. 2 diet records. 10 native plants in North Carolina
- Sparganium Seeds. 2 diet records. 2 native plants in North Carolina
- Stuckenia Seeds and roots. 2 diet records. 1 native plant in North Carolina
- Beckmannia Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in North Carolina
- Bidens Seeds. 1 diet record. 11 native plants in North Carolina
- Brasenia Seeds. 1 diet record. 1 native plant in North Carolina
- Chara 1 diet record. 0 native plants in North Carolina
- Hippuris Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in North Carolina
- Najas Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in North Carolina
- Persicaria Seeds. 1 diet record. 13 native plants in North Carolina
- Quercus Seeds. 1 diet record. 31 native plants in North Carolina
- Scolochloa Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in North Carolina
- Triticum 1 diet record. 0 native plants in North Carolina
- Zannichellia Seeds. 1 diet record. 1 native plant in North Carolina
- Zizania Seeds. 1 diet record. 1 native plant in North Carolina
Also found in its main habitats
Its main habitats in North Carolina, by how much of its habitat model each one is, with the birds most characteristic of each and the plants that grow wild there. Shared habitat, not food.
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Birds 70
- Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolnii
- Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalus
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- AnhingaAnhinga anhinga
- Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater
- Louisiana WaterthrushSeiurus motacilla
- Northern WaterthrushSeiurus noveboracensis
- Yellow-throated WarblerDendroica dominica
- Black-throated Blue WarblerDendroica caerulescens
- Cerulean WarblerDendroica cerulea
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
Plants 367
- Elliott's BlueberryVaccinium elliottii
- Possumhaw HollyIlex decidua
- Cherrybark OakQuercus pagoda
- Shagbark HickoryCarya ovata
- Southern Shagbark HickoryCarya carolinae-septentrionalis
- Wolf's BluegrassPoa wolfii
- Spreading SedgeCarex laxiculmis
- Blunt Broom SedgeCarex tribuloides
- Louisiana SedgeCarex louisianica
- Smooth Hedge-nettleStachys tenuifolia
- Woodland SpurgeEuphorbia obtusata
- Common Cup-plantSilphium perfoliatum
Swamps
Birds 69
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis
- Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalus
- RedheadAythya americana
- Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolor
- AnhingaAnhinga anhinga
- Louisiana WaterthrushSeiurus motacilla
- Northern WaterthrushSeiurus noveboracensis
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres
- Yellow-throated WarblerDendroica dominica
- Cerulean WarblerDendroica cerulea
Plants 329
- May HawthornCrataegus aestivalis
- Dense-flower SmartweedPersicaria densiflora
- Carolina AshFraxinus caroliniana
- Water HickoryCarya aquatica
- Bent SedgeCarex styloflexa
- Cypress-swamp SedgeCarex joorii
- Dark-green SedgeCarex venusta
- Fringed SedgeCarex crinita
- Ravenfoot SedgeCarex crus-corvi
- Weak Stellate SedgeCarex seorsa
- White-edge SedgeCarex debilis
- Swamp ButtercupRanunculus septentrionalis
Depression ponds and limesinks
Birds 71
- Black-bellied PloverPluvialis squatarola
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Le Conte's SparrowAmmodramus leconteii
- Purple MartinProgne subis
- Western SandpiperCalidris mauri
- BrantBranta bernicla
- Nelson's Sharp-tailed SparrowAmmodramus nelsoni
- Yellow RailCoturnicops noveboracensis
- Black RailLaterallus jamaicensis
- Blue-winged TealAnas discors
- Long-billed CurlewNumenius americanus
- Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
Plants 123
- Bay BonesetEupatorium paludicola
- False FennelEupatorium leptophyllum
- Hairy SmartweedPersicaria hirsuta
- Shrubby SeedboxLudwigia suffruticosa
- Hirst's WitchgrassDichanthelium hirstii
- Coastal BeaksedgeRhynchospora pleiantha
- Grooved BeaksedgeRhynchospora sulcata
- Harper's BeaksedgeRhynchospora harperi
- Narrow-fruit Horned BeaksedgeRhynchospora inundata
- Tracy's BeaksedgeRhynchospora tracyi
- Slender Water-milfoilMyriophyllum tenellum
- Tall Pinebarren MilkwortSenega cymosa
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Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for Mallard Fresh water only
- USGS Gap Analysis Project range maps (2001), modeled by watershed; migratory gives no dates
- NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0), habitat names
- US Census TIGER/Line counties
- Names follow the USGS Gap Analysis Project (2001)
- Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab) (CC0 1.0), diet records by plant genus