Mallard Ducks in urban environment

Abstract

Mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is one of the most widespread waterfowl species entire the world. Ecologically, this species is flexible for behavioural adaptation to urban environments. In this paper, I describe the time-activity budget and behaviour of Mallard ducks in an urban park in Debrecen, Hungary. Focal animal sampling was used for this study. Totally, 162 focal samples were collected across 17 survey weeks from March to June 2025 at the Great Forest Park. After observations were recorded, behavioural data was evaluated using BORIS software within five categories: resting, foraging, social, locomotion, and alert/agonistic. Three individual groups were distinguished: males, females, and females with ducklings. Resting was the main dominant behaviour throughout whole study period. Negative correlation was found between social behaviour and anthropogenic feeding (Spearman r = −0.523, p = 0.038, N = 16). Also, it was noted that majority of the time ducks were spending in the water. Resting showed the most equal distribution between water and land compared to all other behaviours. Additionally, females with ducklings showed the highest proportions of foraging and locomotion in water compared to other groups. Most ducks were observed on the lake, and, proportionally, the highest amount was recorded in the largest section. The peak of 41 individuals in early March was likely due to migration. From April, duck numbers increased with rising temperatures. Seven duck families were observed during the breeding season, including one case where ducklings were adopted from another group. The results show that the behaviour and movement of urban mallards are influenced by human feeding, habitat, and seasonal changes in temperature.