How long do ducks live?

Some species of duck live into their 20s. The oldest mallard duck lived to be 27 years old, though the average lifespan in the wild for mallards is about 26 years.

The average lifespan of the wood duck, a colorful bird found in much of North America, is about 22 years. The average lifespan of the gadwall duck is 19 1/2 years. Cinnamon teals, which are native to the west coast of the United States and south to Argentina and Chile, have a lifespan in the wild of about 13 years. At the low end, a diving duck called the red-crested pochard has a lifespan of only four to seven years.