Back Cover

What Is It?

Our photographers have been busy exploring the intricacies of the Missouri outdoors. See if you can guess this month’s natural wonder. The answer is revealed on the inside of this back cover.

Mallard Duck

On the back cover and right is a male mallard duck by Noppadol Paothong. Females are a mottled brown. Found throughout North America and Eurasia, this large dabbling duck (ducks that feed by tipping upside down to forage in shallow waters) is the ancestor of all domestic ducks except the muscovy. Though they breed in the spring, mallards begin courting in the fall and pairs remain together throughout the winter. For information on waterfowl seasons and regulations, visit MissouriConservation.org/node/9619.