Foods Consumed by Breeding Mallards on Wetlands of South-Central North Dakota

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Abstract
Foods consumed by 117 mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) collected on the breeding grounds of south-central North Dakota during spring and summer 1974-80 were examined. Animal foods accounted for 38 and 37% of the diet of paired males and nonlaying females, respectively (N = 80). The diet of laying females consisted of 72% animal foods, which differed significantly from that of paired males and nonlaying females. Insects, gastropods, crustaceans, annelids, and seeds made up 27.1, 16.4, 12.9, 12.8, and 24.8% of the diet, respectively, of laying females (N = 37).