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CAUTION: Post Storm Damage to Coastal Trail
The Presidio Coastal Trail segment just north of the Pacific Overlook and adjacent to Lincoln Blvd remains CLOSED indefinitely. We have posted signage to alert bicyclists and hikers and with information for safe trail alternatives. More »
Mallard
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(Anas platyrhynchos)
Male Mallards swim on Mountain Lake.
Will Elder, NPS
Natural History: This aquatic species feeds mostly on plant material. It rarely dives and tends to hide in dense, emergent vegetation. It is a monogamous species that tends to nest in hollows among reeds or grass from March to July. General Distribution: The Mallard is found in ponds, streams, bay areas, marshes, and tidal rocky areas, where they breed. Frequency: This animal is found abundantly during the winter, spring, and summer months. Identifying Characteristics: This species has different identifying features between the males and females. The males show a glossy, green head and narrow white collar. They have a yellowish bill and orange feet. The females can be noted by a mottled brown with whitish tail. The females tend to emit loud quacks. |
Did You Know?
Major Jonathan Letterman--after whom the hospital at the Presidio was renamed in 1911--was the medical director of the Army of the Potomac. A founding father of military medicine, Letterman organized forward first-aid stations, mobile field hospitals, and ambulance services during the Civil War.