Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Perhaps the most recognizable of the dabbling ducks, this is an easy to spot species thanks to their abundant numbers and the male having a yellow bill and dark green head. The female is overall brown in color with a brownish-orange bill. Around the beginning of August when the breeding season ends, these birds go through a molting process and lose all their flight feathers, which makes it difficult to tell apart the male and the female. The best way to check is the bill color, which stays the same. The drab coloring of the male is known as eclipse plumage, and provides better camouflage during this vulnerable period.