The Mallard is often the first waterbird people learn to recognise. You meet it along a pond, on a slow river, in an urban park—sometimes even on a small ornamental lake. It has that quiet familiarity of species that live close to us and, without fuss, open the door to the world of wetlands. Behind its apparent “commonness”, the Mallard is an excellent guide: it tells a story of adaptation, seasons, life along the banks… and the small actions that can make a real difference for freshwater wildlife.