Mallard Duck
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Ecological Niche: The Mallard duck can be found all around the world in temperate or sub-tropical climates. They are migratory birds and may fly south as far as Mexico and Central America during the cold winter. These birds enjoy grasslands or small ponds surrounded by reeds. They are "dabbling ducks" and must be near the surface in order to catch their food. Mallards are eaten by bobcats, coyotes and other large mammals. They themselves feed on insects and plants.
History of the Mallard: The Mallard duck is the ancestor of most domestic duck breeds. It is believed that they evolved in Siberia. Their scientific name is Anas Platyrhynchos
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How has the Mallard thrived?: The Mallard duck is the most populous duck in the world and certain adaptations have led to its thriving. Female Mallard's have developed dark brown and black feathers to help it blend into the murky marshes. Female Mallard's will also pretend to be injured to lure a predator away from its ducklings.
Mallard Ducks: (from left to right) Male, Female
Mallard's are also able to fly vertically out of the water. Many other birds need a large area of space to take of. This may help Mallard's escape predators and this increased mobility is a selective pressure that continues to aid in the survival of the Mallard duck.
Common Ancestor: The common ancestor of all ducks was the Pterosaur. Now extinct, these birds once lived among the dinosaurs. They had bodies similar to those of ducks and had webbed feet and a flat bill similar to a duck's.
References
https://bmcgenet.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2156-12-99
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/lifehistory
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22093799
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