What they like

Quiet, shallow water with messy edges. Ditches, ponds, puddles, wet meadows. The more bank herbs, reed and bulrush, the better. Do: leave a strip of grass along the water. Mow in phases. Create a brush pile or a rough corner for cover. In farmland: keep one wet corner wet and leave soggy patches standing longer.

Ecological importance

The wild duck is both a clean-up crew and a disperser. It eats aquatic plants, seeds and lots of small creatures like snails, insect larvae and little worms. By doing so it keeps aquatic life moving and passes energy on to predators. Foxes, stoats and birds of prey take ducks (and ducklings) where they get the chance: that's part of a living landscape.

When in the Netherlands

Year-round. Breeds roughly from March through July. In winter many more are present due to migration from the north.

Status

Common, but clearly declining for years. Fewer chicks, fewer safe wet, messy margins.