The Mexican duck is a species of dabbling duck that breeds in Mexico and the southwestern United States.
Region
Mexico and the Southwestern United States
Typical Environment
Occurs widely across the Mexican Plateau, extending into northern and western Mexico and locally into Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Prefers shallow freshwater habitats such as marshes, slow rivers, ponds, reservoirs, stock tanks, and irrigation canals, especially in arid and semi-arid landscapes. Frequently uses agricultural wetlands and flooded fields outside the breeding season. In drier regions it concentrates along riparian corridors and permanent water bodies. It is generally sedentary, with local movements in response to water availability.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3000 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Mexican duck is a mostly resident dabbling duck of Mexico and the U.S. Southwest, long treated as part of the mallard complex but now widely recognized as a distinct species. It closely resembles a female mallard, which makes identification tricky where they overlap. Hybridization with feral or wild mallards is a conservation concern in some areas.
A Male at El Charco de Ingenio, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico
Temperament
wary and alert
Flight Pattern
strong flier with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Pairs form in late winter to spring, and the species nests on the ground in dense vegetation near water. Females incubate and lead broods, while males often remain nearby early in the season. Outside breeding, birds gather in small to medium-sized flocks, especially on larger water bodies.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Females give a series of loud, coarse quacks reminiscent of a mallard but slightly lower and rougher. Males produce softer, nasal or grating notes and low whistles, especially during courtship.
Plumage
Overall dusky, mottled brown with buffy edges, lacking the glossy green head of male mallards. Body appears uniformly dark with a slightly paler, buff-washed face and throat. The speculum is iridescent blue to purple, often with a narrow pale trailing edge.
Diet
Feeds by dabbling and upending to take aquatic vegetation, seeds, and invertebrates such as aquatic insects, snails, and small crustaceans. Will graze on grasses and take waste grain in agricultural fields. Diet shifts seasonally with availability, tending toward more plant matter outside the breeding season and more invertebrates when raising young.
Preferred Environment
Shallow margins of marshes, ponds, and slow-flowing rivers with emergent vegetation are favored. Frequently forages in flooded fields, irrigation ditches, and livestock tanks in arid regions. Uses sheltered coves and shoreline edges where it can feed while remaining concealed.
