Definition of mallard

The word "mallard" derives from the Old French word "maldon" which means "drake", referring to the male duck. The female mallard, on the other hand, is called a "hen mallard". The Old French term "maldon" is believed to have originated from the Latin term "malldus" which means "male duck", itself derived from the Celtic words for "male" and "duck". These words were adapted and coined by the early French settlers in the area of modern-day Normandy, where the mallard is native. The mallard has been a vital part of the French and British cultures throughout history, with its meat and feathers used for clothing. The standard color of ducks sold in markets in these areas is still called "mallard" today, as tame mallards were bred in captivity and selectively bred by chicken farmers as an ancestral species to the modern domestic duck breeds. In addition, the mallard was essential to the evolutionary development of domestic ducks, as it facilitated the formation of hybrids, notably the American Pintail and the Redhead duck breeds, leading to new gene pools from which domestic duck breeds emerged as we know them today. As the mallard is a migratory bird with a global distribution, its name has been adopted and used to denote other species of ducks with similar coloring, habits, or habitat, such as the Australian mallard, the Chiloe wigeon, and numerous duck hybrids bred by farmers worldwide.