Mallard migration and regional movement timing, distance, and direction data, 2018–2020

The mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is an abundant and wide-spread duck species that exhibits considerable variation in migratory behavior due to a relatively large body size and behavioral plasticity in habitat use. Understanding migration and other movements of mallards has societal interest in a wildlife management context because mallards are a preferred species of waterfowl by hunters and have the largest annual harvest of all duck species in the United States. We monitored juvenile mallards during autumn-winters 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 to determine factors associated with timing, distance, and direction of regional and migration movements during autumn-winter across the midcontinent of North America.