If it wasn’t for the Mallard’s high ranking in the country’s 60 most common bird list, it is quite likely that this easily-recognised duck would be highly prized for its delightful plumage. The stunning green metallic sheen of the drake’s head allied to its bold, ruddy chest and dramatic purple wing insets make this bird one of Britain’s most colourful residents.
Over the centuries the Mallard has spawned many domesticated varieties, including Aylesbury, Khaki Campbell and Indian Runner and has even given its name to the fastest steam locomotive ever built – the distinctively blue (although not always) 126 mph (a record set on 3rd July 1938) No.4468 “Mallard” now resident in the National Railway Museum at York. However it is definitely the bird and not the train that inspired the name of the Mallard Close in Plympton.
