document_title: List of Neon Genesis Evangelion episodes

question_text: how many episodes are there in neon genesis evangelion

text: Airing history[edit]

text: After several episodes were produced, the first episode aired on October 4, 1995, long after originally planned. Initially ignored (although received positively by those Gainax fans invited to early screenings), viewership grew slowly and largely by word of mouth.

text: The 16th episode marked a distinct shift that would characterize the second half of Evangelion as being more psychological than action or adventure.[2] This change in emphasis was partly due to the development of the story, but also partly because by this point, production had begun running out of funding and failing to meet the schedule; this collapse has been identified by at least episode director Kazuya Tsurumaki as the impetus for Evangelion's turn into internal conflict:

text: I didn't mind it. The schedule was an utter disaster and the number of cels plummeted, so there were some places where unfortunately the quality suffered. However, the tension of the staff as we all became more desperate and frenzied certainly showed up in the film ... About the time that the production system was completely falling apart, there were some opinions to the effect that, "If we can't do satisfactory work, then what's the point of continuing?" However, I didn't feel that way. My opinion was, "Why don't we show them the entire process including our breakdown."[3]

text: Despite this, by the 18th episode, it had become enough of a sensation that Eva-01's violent rampage "is criticized as being unsuitable on an anime show that is viewed by children", and the 20th episode would be similarly criticized for the offscreen depiction of Misato and Ryoji having sex.[4] With this popularity came the first merchandise, "Genesis 0:1" (containing the first two episodes). Beginning a trend, it sold out. When the series finale aired, the story apparently remained unresolved: Third Impact and the Human Instrumentality Project are implied to have begun or even finished, but the episodes focus largely on the psychology of the characters, leaving deeply unclear what actually happens. The End of Evangelion was meant to replace or complement the original episodes 25 and 26, in order to better explain the events of the ending.

text: Episodes[edit]

text: Each episode has two titles: one is the original Japanese title, and the second is an English title that was chosen by Japanese studio Gainax itself. Most often, the official English title is not a direct translation of the Japanese title. For example, the direct translation of the Japanese title of episode 2 is "Unfamiliar Ceiling", but the English title is "The Beast". Sometimes, however, the two titles are either similar or exactly the same, as was the case with episode 10, "Magmadiver". Many tracks on the original soundtracks are named after the English episode names in which they are first used.

text:
No.
Episode title
Director
Writer
Original airdate

1
"Angel Attack""Shito, shūrai (Angel Attack)" (使徒、襲来) Kazuya TsurumakiHideaki AnnoOctober 4, 1995
In 2000, the first disastrous contact with the mysterious beings known as Angels resulted in the global cataclysm referred to as the Second Impact, which wiped out half of the human race. To defend humanity against future Angel attacks, the United Nations established the NERV organization in Tokyo-3 to develop giant bio-mechanical mecha known as Evangelions. 15 years later in 2015, the Angels have finally returned, and the untested Evangelions can only be piloted by specially selected 14-year-olds. Shinji Ikari, estranged son of the director of NERV, Commander Gendo Ikari, arrives in Tokyo-3 and is dragooned into piloting Evangelion Unit 01 to fight the Angel, Sachiel, which is attacking the city.
2
"The Beast""Mishiranu, tenjō (Unfamiliar Ceiling)" (見知らぬ、天井) Kazuya TsurumakiHideaki Anno  Yōji EnokidoOctober 11, 1995
Shinji wakes up in the hospital, unable to remember the fight against the Angel the night before. Gendo wants nothing to do with him, so NERV's head of operations, the young and attractive Colonel Misato Katsuragi, becomes his legal guardian. Settling into life in Misato's apartment, he eventually recalls the furious battle.
3
"A Transfer""Naranai, denwa (The Phone That Never Rings)" (鳴らない、電話) Hiroyuki IshidoHideaki Anno  Akio SatsukawaOctober 18, 1995
Shinji begins school at Tokyo-3 and meets classmates Toji Suzuhara, Kensuke Aida, and Hikari Horaki. Toji resents Shinji because his sister was badly injured in Shinji's first fight against the Angel Sachiel. Another Angel, Shamshel, appears, and Shinji must defeat it. Shinji is pushed to his mental limit during the battle, going berserk during the last seconds, engaging the Angel in close combat and savagely disabling it. Afterwards, he is devastated by the emotions he experienced during the battle. Toji, witnessing the toll Shinji's life as a pilot puts on him, decides to let go of his resentment.
4
"Hedgehog's Dilemma""Ame, nigedashita ato (Rain, After Running Away)" (雨、逃げ出した後) Tsuyoshi KagaAkio SatsukawaOctober 25, 1995
Overstressed from being made an Evangelion pilot, the previous fight with Shamshel, and fighting with Misato, Shinji runs away from home, soon encountering Kensuke in a field. Shinji is soon recaptured by NERV and reluctantly accepts to resume piloting EVA Unit 01, but Misato states that if he cannot have the right attitude then he should quit being a pilot. She forces his resignation, and after saying goodbye to his classmates Shinji prepares to leave Tokyo-3 by train. However, at the last minute both Shinji and Misato have an epiphany that gives them a deeper understanding of each other. Shinji does not board his train to leave Tokyo-3 and decides to stay. Misato welcomes him back.
5
"Rei I""Rei, kokoro no mukō ni (Rei, Beyond the Heart)" (レイ、心のむこうに) Keiichi SugiyamaHideaki Anno  Akio SatsukawaNovember 1, 1995
Evangelion Unit 00 is finally repaired after it went berserk during the experiment it was in before the events of the first episode. Shinji tries to get to know the pilot of Unit 00, Rei Ayanami, better but finds that she is incredibly insular, has no friends, and records of her past have been erased. A new and powerful Angel arrives: Ramiel, a floating monolithic metal diamond with a powerful particle beam blast which nearly kills Shinji in Unit 01.
6
"Rei II""Kessen, daisan shin Tōkyō-shi (Decisive Battle in Tokyo-3)" (決戦、第3新東京市) Hiroyuki IshidoHideaki Anno  Akio SatsukawaNovember 8, 1995
The Angel Ramiel is boring down through the upper layers of Tokyo-3 to reach NERV headquarters in the geofront below. Possessing a strong beam attack and the strongest AT field ever observed, a direct assault by an Evangelion would meet with failure. A plan ("Operation Yashima") is devised in which Shinji in Unit 01 will use an advanced prototype positron rifle to shoot Ramiel from outside its target zone, which must use the entire electrical output of Japan in order to operate, while Rei in Unit 00 shields Unit 01. Shinji's first shot misses while Ramiel retaliates with its energy beam, but Rei steps in front of Unit 01 to shield him. The shield is quickly worn down by the Angel's attack, and Shinji just barely manages to fire the second shot in time, destroying the Angel as Unit 00 is almost destroyed. He then comes out of his Evangelion to open the hatch's to Rei's, finding her alive and crying with relief. When Rei shows her confusion at not knowing how to respond, Shinji just tells her to try smiling.
7
"A Human Work""Hito no tsukurishimono (A Human Work)" (人の造りしもの) Keiichi SugiyamaHideaki Anno  Yōji EnokidoNovember 15, 1995
Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, NERV's chief scientist, explains to Shinji more of the classified real nature of Second Impact, the Angels, and the mission of the Evangelions to defeat them. A rival organization of NERV builds a prototype giant robot, Jet Alone, meant as an alternative to the Evangelions, which this new robot line will supersede. Unlike the Evangelion units, which rely on external or limited battery power, the Jet Alone has an on-board nuclear reactor and can thus function indefinitely without external power. However, during the first public test of Jet Alone, it goes out of control and starts marching toward a nearby city with its reactor building to a meltdown. Shinji keeps the robot at bay in his Evangelion while Misato gets inside and attempts to shut down the reactor, only to find out that the apparent threat of a meltdown was staged by an act of sabotage.
8
"Asuka Strikes!""Asuka, rainichi (Asuka Arrives in Japan)" (アスカ、来日) Kazuya TsurumakiHideaki Anno  Yōji EnokidoNovember 22, 1995
Misato brings Shinji and his friends Toji and Kensuke on a flight to a United Nations carrier battlegroup which is transporting Evangelion Unit 02 and its fiery German pilot, Asuka Langley Soryu, to Japan. Escorting Asuka to Japan is Misato's old friend, Ryōji Kaji. In the middle of some awkward introductions and reunions, a massive aquatic Angel, Gaghiel, begins attacking the fleet, and Asuka determines that she will fight it using Unit 02, by playing "hopscotch". However for both due to their unfriendly meeting, she takes Shinji with her. The Angel drags Unit 02 underwater, and Misato devises a plan to kill it by lodging two sunken battleships in its mouth and then firing all weapons into it. By cooperating, Asuka and Shinji pull off the plan and the Angel is killed, and it is revealed that both Shinji and Asuka broke their synchronization records. Kaji is seen delivering Adam to Gendo, and Asuka transfers to Shinji's class.
9
"Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!""Shunkan, kokoro, kasanete (Moment and Heart Together)" (瞬間、心、重ねて) Seiji MizushimaHideaki Anno  Akio SatsukawaNovember 29, 1995
Asuka moves into Shinji and Misato's apartment where he and Misato live. As Asuka adjusts to Japan, the Angel Israfel attacks. After apparently being defeated, Israfel splits into two identical copies and defeats both Units 01 and 02. In desperation the UN takes the drastic step of dropping an N² bomb on the Angel, temporarily disabling it and giving NERV six days to find a way to defeat it. They determine that both parts of the Angel must be defeated perfectly simultaneously, so Misato puts Shinji and Asuka in a training regimen which has them spending as much time together as possible in order to synchronize their actions to pull off a coordinated dual attack set to a timed dance routine. Asuka and Shinji do not take well to such close conditions however, and the training is almost deemed a failure. Nevertheless, Shinji and Asuka eventually learn to put aside their differences and are able to pull off the routine almost flawlessly, destroying the Angel.
10
"Magma Diver""Magumadaibā (Magmadiver)" (マグマダイバー) Tsuyoshi Kaga  Hiroyuki IshidoHideaki Anno  Akio SatsukawaDecember 6, 1995
The Evangelion pilots (save for Rei) are excited about their upcoming class trip to Okinawa, but they are upset to learn that they cannot leave Tokyo-3, since they have to be on standby in case of an Angel attack. A dormant Angel, Sandalphon, is discovered in an embryonic stage nesting deep in the magma of an active volcano, and in the hopes of gaining greater insight into the Angels, Asuka is sent to capture it by lowering Unit 02 into the magma, while it wears a special giant coolant suit for protection. However, the Angel soon awakes and advances beyond its embryonic stage, forcing Asuka to battle Sandalphon while deep beneath the surface of the magma.
11
"The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still""Seishishita yami no naka de (In the Still Darkness)" (静止した闇の中で) Tatsuya WatanabeHideaki Anno  Yōji EnokidoDecember 13, 1995
The electrical power in Tokyo-3 is completely cut off as a result of sabotage by parties unknown, trapping most NERV personnel inside, and worse, trapping all three Evangelion pilots outside of the base. A new Angel, Matarael, appears and begins to burn its way down to NERV headquarters by using a corrosive acid attack, and everyone inside must struggle to power up the Evangelions, as the pilots try to make their way back into Central Dogma through a maze of closed corridors and air ducts. The pilots then enter their Evas and go into battle. After traversing more vents and passageways, they come face to face with the Angel. Asuka defends Shinji and Rei from Matarael's corrosive acid, while the other two pilots retrieve Shinji's rifle. Shinji then uses the rifle to destroy the Angel.
12
"She said, 'Don't make others suffer for your personal hatred.'""Kiseki no kachi wa (The Value of Miracles)" (奇跡の価値は) Hiroyuki IshidoHideaki Anno  Akio SatsukawaDecember 20, 1995
A massive Angel, Sahaquiel, appears in Earth's orbit, well beyond the reach of the Evangelions, and launching several N² bombs at it has no effect. The Angel attacks by dropping small pieces of itself onto Earth below, calibrating its aim: once it has zeroed in on Tokyo-3, the main body of Sahaquiel will fall to Earth in a massive kamikaze attack to destroy Tokyo-3. All three Evangelions are deployed at once in a race to reach the Angel before it hits, hold it back by projecting their own AT fields, and destroy it.
13
"Lilliputian Hitcher""Shito, shinnyū (Angel Invasion)" (使徒、侵入) Tensai OkamuraHideaki Anno  Mitsuo IsoDecember 27, 1995
The pilots are undergoing a synchronization test directed by Ritsuko deep within NERV headquarters when a new Angel, Ireul, appears within the base itself, being initially mistaken for corrosion. This Angel is actually a collection of millions of microscopic organisms, which interact to create a living biological computer circuit. Ireul infects NERV's computer network, and then infiltrates two of the three Magi supercomputers that control the base before Ritsuko is able to set up a firewall to slow its advance. Ritsuko comes up with a scheme to use the Angel's rapid adaptive ability against it and force it to evolve into a benign state, but must race to implement the program before the Angel gains control of the base's self-destruct. After successfully pulling off the plan and destroying the Angel, Ritsuko gives Misato some insight about the Magi's workings, relaying the story of how her mother based its design on her own personality.
14
"Weaving a Story""Zēre, tamashii no za (Seele, the Throne of Souls)" (ゼーレ、魂の座) Masahiko Ohtsuka  Ken AndoHideaki AnnoJanuary 3, 1996
The first half of this episode is a clip show, in the form of a report by Seele reviewing Gendo's actions, summarizing the first season of episodes and the story up until this point. In the second half, Ritsuko conducts an experiment to determine if pilots can be switched between the Evangelions they normally pilot. Rei can synchronize with Unit 01 fairly well, but when Shinji attempts to synchronize with Unit 00, it goes violently berserk inside of the base, in a manner identical to the failed activation test that took place before Shinji's arrival in Tokyo-3. As before, Unit 00 attacks the hangar's observation booth, smashing the window. However, Rei was standing at the window instead of Gendo, as was the case in the first test, causing Misato Katsuragi to wonder if Unit 00 was trying to kill Rei. Meanwhile, Ritsuko feels that Unit 00 was trying to attack Ritsuko herself. At the end of the episode, Rei uses Unit 00 to bring the Lance of Longinus recovered from Antarctica to the deepest level of NERV's base, Terminal Dogma.
15
"Those women longed for the touch of others' lips, and thus invited their kisses.""Uso to chinmoku (Lies and Silence)" (嘘と沈黙) Naoyasu HabuHideaki Anno  Akio SatsukawaJanuary 10, 1996
Kaji begins to make clandestine investigations into NERV's dark secrets, after which he, Misato, and Ritsuko attend a wedding. Meanwhile, Rei and Shinji stay after class to clean up while Asuka goes on a blind date. Shinji meets Gendo at his mother's grave. Later that night, at Misato's apartment, Asuka kisses Shinji, which nearly suffocates him. Misato finds out that Kaji is a spy, but he shows her that NERV is hiding things from her. He shows her what he believes to be Adam, the first Angel, which is being kept in NERV headquarters.
16
"Splitting of the Breast""Shi ni itaru yamai, soshite (In sickness unto death, and...)" (死に至る病、そして) Kazuya TsurumakiHideaki Anno  Hiroshi YamaguchiJanuary 17, 1996
A new and extremely bizarre Angel, Leliel, appears in the sky over Tokyo-3, apparently a black and white sphere. All three Evangelions move in to attack, but Shinji's attack is useless, and he along with Unit 01 are absorbed into a growing shadow that has engulfed the city. Ritsuko determines that Leliel exists on a higher dimension of existence, which can only be explained by mathematical concepts. The shadow on the ground, described as being 600 meters wide but only three nanometers thick, is the actual body of the Angel, and the sphere in the sky is its true shadow. Fearing that Unit 01 has been completely lost, NERV prepares to drop all of its remaining N² bombs into the Angel, hoping that this will destroy Leliel even though it could easily kill Shinji as well. While trapped in Leliel, Shinji goes on an introspective mental journey. As the battery power completely drains and life support runs out in Unit 01, Shinji suddenly feels a ghostly woman embracing him, and he realizes that she is his mother. Outside Leliel, Misato and Ritsuko witness Unit 01 violently tear its way out of Leliel's shadow, thereby killing the Angel. Shinji is recovered alive and well, but his experiences inside the Angel have left him deeply unsettled.
17
"Fourth Child[5]""Yoninme no tekikakusha (The Fourth Child)" (四人目の適格者) Minoru OharaHideaki Anno  Shinji HiguchiJanuary 24, 1996
Disaster strikes unexpectedly when NERV-02, NERV's second branch base in Nevada, mysteriously disappears in a flash, resulting in the loss of everything in a radius of eighty-nine kilometers and thousands of people. The incident coincided with an experiment to install an S² engine, capable of giving an Evangelion an unlimited power supply, into Evangelion Unit 04, one of the two new Evangelions which have recently finished construction in the United States. Panicking after the accident involving Unit 04, the United States government demands that Evangelion Unit 03, built in NERV-01, NERV's first branch base in Massachusetts, be removed from its soil as quickly as possible. As Unit 03 is about to arrive in Tokyo-3, Toji Suzuhara becomes the new pilot for it.
18
"Ambivalence""Inochi no sentaku o (The Choice of Life)" (命の選択を) Tensai OkamuraHideaki Anno  Shinji HiguchiJanuary 31, 1996
Unit 03, being transported from the United States to Japan via airplane, flies through a microscopic Angel disguised as an odd cloud, infecting Unit 03. During Toji's first synch test, Unit 03 goes berserk and mutates into the Angel Bardiel. Possessing both the power of an Angel and the form of an Evangelion, Unit 03 destroys the test facility and advances toward Tokyo-3. All three Evangelions are sortied against Bardiel, but the Angel rapidly defeats both Unit 02 and Unit 00. Although Shinji does not know that Toji is trapped inside Bardiel, he refuses to use Unit 01 to attack it, wanting to try to save the pilot. As Unit 03 attacks Unit 01, Gendo orders that Shinji be cut off from control of Unit 01 and that Unit 01's dummy plug autopilot system be activated. Under the control of the dummy plug, Unit 01 savagely attacks Bardiel, tearing the possessed Evangelion to shreds and crushing its entry plug. After the battle, the already emotionally devastated Shinji is even more horrified as he sees Toji being taken from the wreckage of the entry plug.
19
"Introjection""Otoko no tatakai (A Man's Battle)" (男の戰い) MasayukiHideaki Anno  Akio SatsukawaFebruary 7, 1996
Shinji, horrified and emotionally devastated by the battle between Unit 01 and Bardiel and witnessing Toji's near-death, as well as Gendo's indifference to the situation, quits NERV for a second time. However, as he is leaving Tokyo-3, the Angel Zeruel appears and easily defeats the other Evangelions. After speaking with Kaji, who reveals the truth as to why the Evas are necessary to combat the Angels, namely to prevent them from making contact with Adam and thereby trigger the Third Impact which will result in the annihilation of mankind, Shinji returns to NERV just before the Angel penetrates NERV headquarters and engages the Angel in Unit 01. The Angel succeeds in overpowering Unit 01 as its batteries expire and blasts away the Evangelion's chest armor, revealing a core identical to those of the Angels. As the Angel attacks Unit 01's core, Shinji pleads with the Evangelion to start working again. Unit 01 goes "berserk", re-engages and defeats the Angel, and then tears apart and eats the Angel's corpse, absorbing its S² engine in the process.
20
"Weaving a Story 2: oral stage""Kokoro no katachi, hito no katachi (Shape of Heart, Shape of Human)" (心のかたち 人のかたち) Masahiko OhtsukaHideaki AnnoFebruary 14, 1996
During the climax of the massive fight against the Angel Zeruel, Shinji achieved a 400% synchronization ratio with Unit 01, a level thought impossible. However, because of this, Shinji has merged with the Evangelion, and his body has reverted to LCL inside the entry plug. Over the course of thirty days, as Unit 01 stands immobile in its hangar, Ritsuko struggles to come up with a way to restore Shinji. Meanwhile, Shinji's consciousness goes on an introspective odyssey while merged with Unit 01 in which he comes into contact with the soul of his mother, Yui Ikari. After speaking with Yui, Shinji is "reborn" from Unit 01's exposed core. Later that evening, Misato and Kaji resume their love affair. During their meeting, Kaji hands her a chip which details all his findings from spying on NERV, telling her it might be his last gift to her.
21
"He was aware that he was still a child.""Nerufu, tanjō (The Birth of NERV)" (ネルフ、誕生) Hiroyuki Ishido (TV)  Shunji Suzuki (DC)Hideaki Anno  Akio SatsukawaFebruary 21, 1996
Deputy Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki is kidnapped and interrogated by Seele, who are outraged that in its last battle Unit 01 absorbed the S² engine from an Angel into its body, so that it no longer requires an external power source and can now function indefinitely. Meanwhile, Kaji goes AWOL to try to find out the truth about NERV. As Fuyutsuki is interrogated by Seele, he recounts in flashbacks how he first met Gendo and Yui, the dark events surrounding Second Impact, and how NERV and the Evangelion project were born. Flashbacks also reveal the history of Misato, Ritsuko, and Rei. Fuyutsuki is rescued by Kaji, and Fuyutsuki warns him that Seele will want him dead now. That evening, Kaji is shot by an unseen assassin. Misato receives a voicemail from Kaji, in which he urges her to continue his search for the truth about NERV, and from its nature she deduces that he is dead and breaks down in grief.
22
"Don't Be.""Semete, ningen rashiku (At Least, Be Human)" (せめて、人間らしく) Akira Takamura (TV)  Kazuya Tsurumaki (DC)Hideaki Anno  Hiroshi YamaguchiFebruary 28, 1996
After being defeated yet again by an Angel, Asuka's synchronization ratio continues to drop, affecting her ability to pilot Unit 02. Flashbacks reveal Asuka's tragic childhood, which shaped her current abrasive personality. A new Angel, Arael, appears in Earth's orbit, well outside the range of any Earth-based weaponry, including the Evangelions. Asuka is told that she will be Rei's backup for the confrontation with the Angel. Infuriated, she launches herself and confronts Arael on her own. However Arael uses a telepathic attack which forces Asuka to relive traumatic events from her past, causing such mental distress that Asuka completely loses synchronization and Unit 02 shuts down. Gendo orders Rei to retrieve the Lance of Longinus and then use it against the Angel. The Lance succeeds in penetrating Arael's AT field and destroys it, but the Lance achieves escape velocity and enters a lunar orbit. Asuka is again angered by her defeat, worsened by her hatred of Rei.
23
"Rei III""Namida (Tears)" (涙) Shoichi Masuo (TV)  Masayuki (DC)Hideaki Anno  Hiroshi YamaguchiMarch 6, 1996
Following the last Angel's assault on her mind, Asuka sinks into clinical depression. The next Angel, Armisael, attacks, and attempts to merge itself with Unit 00, causing it to make contact with Rei's mind, as past Angels did with Shinji and Asuka. In order to save Shinji, Rei self-destructs Unit 00 in order to destroy Armisael. Rei is revealed to be "recovered" after a supposed near-death experience. Seele, wanting to get to the bottom of the incident, subjects Ritsuko to a humiliating interrogation with Gendo's consent. Wanting revenge on Gendo, Ritsuko betrays him by revealing several dark truths to Shinji and Misato about the Evangelions and Rei, particularity that the latter is but one of several backup clones.
24
"The Beginning and the End, or 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'""Saigo no shisha (The Final Messenger)" (最後のシ者) Shoichi Masuo (TV)  Masayuki (DC)Hideaki Anno  Akio SatsukawaMarch 13, 1996
As Asuka's depression has grown to the point that she is reduced to catatonia, Seele sends Kaworu Nagisa to NERV in order to be the replacement pilot for Unit 02. At first Shinji and Kaworu bond and quickly become friends. However, it is soon revealed that Kaworu is in fact the final Angel and has been sent to merge with Adam in Terminal Dogma at the bottom level of NERV headquarters. Kaworu commandeers Unit 02, and Shinji engages it with Unit 01 in a fierce fight while in free-fall as they descend to Terminal Dogma. Kaworu reaches the Angel in Terminal Dogma as Shinji defeats Unit 02, but realizes that the Angel is not Adam but Lilith. Realizing it is the way things are meant to be, he then implores Shinji to kill him to prevent humanity from being destroyed. Shinji hesitates, but finally kills Kaworu. Later, traumatized by the day's events, Shinji tries to talk to Misato, but she is too distracted by her own struggles to be of comfort to him.
25
"Do you love me?""Owaru sekai (A World That's Ending)" (終わる世界) Kazuya TsurumakiHideaki AnnoMarch 20, 1996
The Human Instrumentality Project begins, merging the souls of humankind into a single entity. Shinji, Rei, Misato, and Asuka struggle with their reasons for existence. Shinji discovers that he has created a solitary existence for himself, a world in which he alone can exist.
26
"Take care of yourself""Sekai no chūshin de "ai" o sakenda kemono (The Beast that Shouted "I" at the Heart of the World)[6]" (世界の中心でアイを叫んだけもの) Masayuki  Kazuya TsurumakiHideaki AnnoMarch 27, 1996
The Human Instrumentality Project continues as humankind attempts to complete its existence. Shinji continues to struggle with the impact of his personal existence, and eventually views a world (resembling a light-hearted, comedic high school setting) in which he is not an Evangelion pilot. Shinji, now understanding that his existence is not fixed, destroys the constrictive shell which he had formed around himself. He is met by all of the other characters from the series, who applaud and congratulate him, and, in response, he thanks them all.

text: Complementary ending[edit]

text:
No.
Title
Director
Writer
Original theatrical release date

25'
"Love is Destructive""Ea (Air)" (エア) Kazuya TsurumakiHideaki AnnoJuly 19, 1997
Second half of the film Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth and first half of the film The End of Evangelion, the latter of which is meant as an alternate ending to the series, complementing or replacing the original episodes 25 and 26.

With the Angels defeated, Commander Gendo Ikari and Seele finally break their relationship and Gendo attempts to start Third Impact with Rei and the Angel Lilith in Terminal Dogma. Seele orders the Japanese Strategic Self Defense Forces (JSSDF) to attack Tokyo-3 and NERV headquarters, eventually leading to Tokyo-3's destruction with an N² mine. Asuka, realizing that her mother's soul was watching over her inside Unit 02 all along, manages to synch up again with the Evangelion and repulses the JSSDF's attack on NERV, prompting Seele to retaliate by sending in the nine Mass Production (MP) Evangelions, Units 05 through 13, to fight Unit 02. Meanwhile, Misato rescues Shinji from advancing JSSDF troops and brings him safely to Unit 01, but is mortally wounded. Ritsuko tries to initiate NERV HQ's self-destruct as an act of petty revenge against Gendo, but it fails due to her mother's programming, at which point Gendo kills her. In a tough battle, Asuka is able to defeat the MP Evangelions, but Unit 02's batteries run out, and the MP Evangelions reactivate despite their wounds because they are fitted with S² engines. The MP Evangelions proceed to brutally eviscerate Unit 02. Shinji leaves the Geofront in Unit 01 and, upon seeing the remains of Unit 02, cries out in anguish.
26'
"ONE MORE FINAL: I need you.""Magokoro o, kimi ni (Sincerely Yours)[7]" (まごころを、君に) Hideaki AnnoHideaki AnnoJuly 19, 1997
Second half of The End of Evangelion, which is meant as an alternate ending to the series, complementing or replacing the original episodes 25 and 26.

Gendo starts Third Impact with Rei, but she rejects Gendo and merges with Lilith to become a god-like being. The MP Evangelions crucify Unit 01 with their Lance of Longinus replicas, and centering around the Rei/Lilith being, create an Anti-AT field which spreads over the entire world, reducing everyone to the primordial soup of LCL, merging into a single super-being as all souls merge. In a surreal sequence (in which Shinji imagines himself in different scenarios interacting with the people he has come to know and care about during his time as an Eva pilot), Shinji examines his life's meaning with Rei and what he truly wants, and after talking with the soul of his mother in Unit 01, decides to reject Instrumentality, accepting individual existence and the possibility of pain over the painless loss of identity. He is told all living things will have the choice of returning to individual existence if they can remember it. The Rei/Lilith being and the MP Evangelions die. In the end, Shinji wakes up on the beach of the Sea of LCL, which has formed over Earth, and finds that Asuka is lying next to him, inexplicably alive, her injuries sustained during her battle with the Mass-Produced Evas covered in bandages. Shinji, still in an emotionally fragile state, strangles the seemingly comatose Asuka, but stops himself when she caresses his face. At Asuka's action, Shinji comes to his senses and breaks down, crying uncontrollably.

text: Reception[edit]

text: While the entire series has received wide attention, individual episodes have also earned praise and occasionally been recipients of awards. For instance, in the 19th Annual Anime Grand Prix, a readers' choice award hosted by Animage magazine, seventeen episodes of Evangelion gained enough votes to be included among the one hundred "Best Loved Single Episodes". Episodes 24 and 26 took first and second place respectively with roughly six hundred votes each.[8]


document_title: I Don't Know How But They Found Me

question_text: who is in i don't know how but they found me

question_tokens: who is in i do n 't know how but they found me

root

text: I Don't Know How But They Found Me

text: History[edit]

text: Formation and secrecy[edit]

text: Prior to the formation of the band, Dallon Weekes and Ryan Seaman were long-time friends who have worked together in the past. Seaman joined Weekes' former band the Brobecks in 2008 and performed drums for Weekes' solo projects, including the songs "Sickly Sweet Holidays" and "Please Don't Jump (It's Christmas)".[2][3][4]

tag: p

text: Initially a solo effort, Weekes had been writing and recording songs while on the road with Panic! at the Disco for several years.[5][6] Seaman performed drums on the record, which led to Weekes purposing the idea to present it as a duo.[7] As evidenced by old tweets and also Weekes confirming it in interviews, the "I Don't Know How But They Found Me" moniker and project idea had existed since 2009.[8][9] The name of the band was inspired by a quote from the movie Back to the Future.[10]

text: Weekes and Seaman started playing small shows in late 2016, but kept it secret. They debuted at Emo Nite Los Angeles' 2-year anniversary event on December 6, 2016.[11] After the show, different sources wrote about a "new side project" by Weekes and Seaman, and confirmed the band name.[12][13] Even when confronted with photos and videos taken at the shows, Weekes and Seaman denied the whole project for months.[14] Weekes later stated that they did not want to exploit both his and Seaman's name recognition and association with the well-known bands they played in.[15]

text: First song releases and touring (2017–present)[edit]

text: IDK teased the release of their first song "Modern Day Cain" one day prior with a post on their Instagram account.[16] On August 18, 2017 the full song was self-released on iTunes and Spotify and followed up with a music video on the same day.[17][18] The single reached number 8 of the Top 10 Alternative Music Charts on iTunes on the day of release.[19]

text: The duo's second single "Choke" got released on October 26, 2017.[20] It was again self-published and accompanied by a lyrics video.[21] The single peaked at number 7 of the iTunes Top 100 Alternative Music Charts.

text: The band went on a few short tours between July and December 2017, playing shows in Utah, California and neighboring states, as well as one show in New York. They also performed as the opening act for The Aquabats[22] and Dashboard Confessional.[23]

text: On March 14, 2018 they released the song "Nobody Likes The Opening Band" as a free download on their website accompanied with a music video.[24] On March 28, it was announced that the band would perform at the Reading and Leeds Festivals.[25]

text: Musical style and influences[edit]

text: On its website the band describes itself as "...a band out of time. One who faded away into obscurity after struggling to find success in the late 70's and early 80's."[26] The duo's music, as well as their appearance and social media presence, is strongly influenced by the style of the 1980s and can be described as synthpop.

text: Among others Weekes has named Marc Bolan, David Bowie, Oingo Boingo, Elvis Costello, The Ink Spots and Joe Jackson as musical influences on the band's sound.[27][28]

text: Band members[edit]

text:
Dallon Weekes – lead vocals, bass, guitars, piano, keyboards, synthesizer (2016–present)
Ryan Seaman – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2016–present)

tag: ul

text: Discography[edit]

text: Singles[edit]

text:
Title
Year
Label

"Modern Day Cain"
2017
self-released

"Choke"
2017
self-released

"Nobody Likes The Opening Band"
2018
self-released

tag: table


document_title: Cinco de Mayo

question_text: where did the battle of cinco de mayo take place

text: Cinco de Mayo

text: Background[edit]

text: Events leading to the Battle of Puebla[edit]

text: Cinco de Mayo has its roots in the Second French intervention in Mexico, which took place in the aftermath of the 1846–48 Mexican–American War and the 1858–61 Reform War. The Reform War was a civil war that pitted Liberals (who believed in separation of church and state, and freedom of religion) against Conservatives (who favored a tight bond between the Catholic Church and the Mexican state).[9] These wars nearly bankrupted the Mexican Treasury. On July 17, 1861, Mexican President Benito Juárez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for two years.[3][10] In response, Britain, France, and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew, but France, at the time ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to establish an empire in Mexico that would favor French interests, the Second Mexican Empire. The empire was part of an envisioned "Latin America" (term used to imply cultural kinship of the region with France) that would rebuild French influence in the American continent and exclude Anglophone American territories.

text: French invasion and Mexican victory[edit]

text: Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat.[11] Moving on from Veracruz towards Mexico City, the French army encountered heavy resistance from the Mexicans close to Puebla, at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe.[12] The French army of 8,000 [13][14][note 1] attacked the poorly equipped Mexican army of 4,000.[15][note 2] On May 5, 1862,[16] the Mexicans decisively defeated the French army.[17][18][19] The victory represented a significant morale boost to the Mexican army and the Mexican people at large[20][21] and helped establish a sense of national unity and patriotism.[22]

text: Events after the battle[edit]

text: The Mexican victory, however, was short-lived. A year later, with 30,000 troops, the French were able to defeat the Mexican army, capture Mexico City, and install Emperor Maximilian I as ruler of Mexico.[23] The French victory was itself short-lived, lasting only three years, from 1864 to 1867.[23] By 1865, "with the American Civil War now over, the U.S. began to provide more political and military assistance to Mexico to expel the French".[23] Upon the conclusion of the American Civil War, Napoleon III, facing a persistent Mexican guerilla resistance, the threat of war with Prussia, and "the prospect of a serious scrap with the United States", retreated from Mexico starting in 1866.[24] The Mexicans recaptured Mexico City, and Maximilian I was apprehended and executed, along with his Mexican generals Miguel Miramón and Tomás Mejía Camacho in Cerro de las Campanas, Querétaro.[10][23] "On June 5, 1867, Benito Juárez finally entered Mexico City where he installed a new government and reorganized his administration."[10]

text: Significance[edit]

text: The Battle of Puebla was significant, both nationally and internationally, for several reasons. First, although considerably outnumbered, the Mexicans defeated a much-better-equipped French army. "This battle was significant in that the 4,000 Mexican soldiers were greatly outnumbered by the well-equipped French army of 8,000 that had not been defeated for almost 50 years."[25][26][note 3] Second, since the Battle of Puebla, some have argued that no country in the Americas has subsequently been invaded by any other European military force.[27][note 4] Historian Justo Sierra has written in his Political Evolution of the Mexican People that, had Mexico not defeated the French in Puebla on May 5, 1862, France would have gone to the aid of the Confederacy in the U.S. Civil War and the United States' destiny would have been different.[28][29]

text: History of the holiday[edit]

text: United States[edit]

text: According to a paper published by the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture about the origin of the observance of Cinco de Mayo in the United States, the modern American focus on that day first started in California in 1863 in response to the resistance to French rule in Mexico.[30] "Far up in the gold country town of Columbia (now Columbia State Park) Mexican miners were so overjoyed at the news that they spontaneously fired off rifle shots and fireworks, sang patriotic songs and made impromptu speeches."[31]

text: A 2007 UCLA Newsroom article notes that, "the holiday, which has been celebrated in California continuously since 1863, is virtually ignored in Mexico."[30] TIME magazine reports that "Cinco de Mayo started to come into vogue in 1940s America during the rise of the Chicano Movement."[21] The holiday crossed over from California into the rest of the United States in the 1950s and 1960s but did not gain popularity until the 1980s when marketers, especially beer companies, capitalized on the celebratory nature of the day and began to promote it.[32][33] It grew in popularity and evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, first in areas with large Mexican-American populations, like Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and San Jose.[34]

text: In a 1998 study in the Journal of American Culture it was reported that there were more than 120 official US celebrations of Cinco de Mayo in 21 different states. An update in 2006 found that the number of official Cinco de Mayo events was 150 or more, according to José Alamillo, a professor of ethnic studies at Washington State University in Pullman, who has studied the cultural impact of Cinco de Mayo north of the border.[35] Los Angeles' Fiesta Broadway has been billed as the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the world, which it most certainly was at its peak in the 1990s when it attracted crowds of 500,000 or more. In recent years attendance has seen a dramatic decrease.[36][37]

text: On June 7, 2005, the United States Congress issued a concurrent resolution calling on the President of the United States to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe Cinco de Mayo with appropriate ceremonies and activities.[38] To celebrate, many display Cinco de Mayo banners while school districts hold special events to educate students about its historical significance. Special events and celebrations highlight Mexican culture, especially in its music and regional dancing. Examples include baile folklórico and mariachi demonstrations held annually at the Plaza del Pueblo de Los Ángeles, near Olvera Street. Commercial interests in the United States have capitalized on the celebration, advertising Mexican products and services, with an emphasis on alcoholic beverages,[39][40] foods, and music.[41][42] According to Nielsen, in 2013 more than $600 million worth of beer was purchased in the United States for Cinco de Mayo, more than for the Super Bowl or St. Patrick’s Day.[43]

text: Mexico[edit]

text: On May 9, 1862, President Juárez declared that the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla would be a national holiday regarded as "Battle of Puebla Day" or "Battle of Cinco de Mayo".[44][45][46][47][48]

text: Today, the commemoration of the battle is not observed as a national holiday in Mexico (i.e. not a statutory holiday).[49] However, all public schools are closed nationwide in Mexico on May 5.[50][51] The day is an official holiday in the State of Puebla, where the Battle took place, and also a full holiday (no work) in the neighboring State of Veracruz.[52][53]

text: In Puebla, historical reenactments, parades, and meals take place to commemorate the battle. Parade participants dress as French and Mexican soldiers to reenact the battle.[54] Every year the city also hosts the Festival Internacional de Puebla, which gathers national and international artists, traditional musicians and dancers.[54] As well as the Festival Internacional del Mole, with an emphasis on the city's iconic mole poblano.[54]

text: In Mexico City, military commemoration is occasionally held at the Campo Marte.[55] A street, Avenida Cinco de Mayo, in the Historic Center of Mexico City was named after the battle in 1862 by Benito Juárez.

text: Elsewhere[edit]

text: Events tied to Cinco de Mayo also occur outside Mexico and the United States. As in the United States, celebrations elsewhere also emphasize Mexican cuisine, culture and music. For example, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, holds a "Cinco de Mayo Street Festival",[56][57] some Canadian pubs play Mexican music and serve Mexican food and drink,[58] and a sky-diving club near Vancouver holds a Cinco de Mayo skydiving event.[59] In the Cayman Islands, in the Caribbean, there is an annual Cinco de Mayo air guitar competition,[60] and at Montego Bay, Jamaica, there is a Cinco de Mayo celebration.[61] The city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, holds an annual Mexican Festival[62] to honor the day, and celebrations are held in London[63] and New Zealand.[64] Other celebrations of the day can also be found in Cape Town, South Africa,[65] Lagos, Nigeria,[66] and in Paris.[67] Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Japan in Osaka and in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park Event Space as a celebration of Latin American culture.[68][69][70]


document_title: Mallard

question_text: when do male mallard ducks get their colors

text: Mallard

text: Taxonomy and evolution[edit]

text: The mallard was one of the many bird species originally described in the 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae by Carl Linnaeus.[2] He gave it two binomial names: Anas platyrhynchos and Anas boschas.[3] The latter was generally preferred until 1906 when Einar Lönnberg established that A. platyrhynchos had priority as it appeared on an earlier page in the text.[4] The scientific name comes from Latin Anas, "duck" and Ancient Greek platyrhynchus, "broad-billed" (from platus, "broad" and rhunkhos, "bill").[5] The genome of Anas platyrhynchos was sequenced in 2013.[6]

text: The name Mallard originally referred to any wild drake, and it is sometimes still used this way.[7] It was derived from the Old French malart or mallart for "wild drake" although its true derivation is unclear.[8] It may be related to, or at least influenced by, an Old High German masculine proper name Madelhart, clues lying in the alternate English forms "maudelard" or "mawdelard".[9] Masle (male) has also been proposed as an influence.[10]

text: Mallards frequently interbreed with their closest relatives in the genus Anas, such as the American black duck, and also with species more distantly related, such as the northern pintail, leading to various hybrids that may be fully fertile.[11] This is quite unusual among such different species, and is apparently because the mallard evolved very rapidly and recently, during the Late Pleistocene.[12] The distinct lineages of this radiation are usually kept separate due to non-overlapping ranges and behavioural cues, but have not yet reached the point where they are fully genetically incompatible.[12] Mallards and their domesticated conspecifics are also fully inter-fertile.[13]

text: Genetic analysis has shown that certain mallards appear to be closer to their Indo-Pacific relatives while others are related to their American relatives.[14] Mitochondrial DNA data for the D-loop sequence suggests that mallards may have evolved in the general area of Siberia. Mallard bones rather abruptly appear in food remains of ancient humans and other deposits of fossil bones in Europe, without a good candidate for a local predecessor species.[15] The large ice age palaeosubspecies that made up at least the European and west Asian populations during the Pleistocene has been named Anas platyrhynchos palaeoboschas.[16]

text: Mallards are differentiated in their mitochondrial DNA between North American and Eurasian populations,[17] but the nuclear genome displays a notable lack of genetic structure.[18] Haplotypes typical of American mallard relatives and spotbills can be found in mallards around the Bering Sea.[19] The Aleutian Islands hold a population of mallards that appear to be evolving towards a subspecies, as gene flow with other populations is very limited.[15]

text: Also, the paucity of morphological differences between the Old World mallards and the New World mallard demonstrates the extent to which the genome is shared among them such that birds like the Chinese spot-billed duck are highly similar to the Old World mallard, and birds such as the Hawaiian duck are highly similar to the New World mallard.[20]

text: The size of the mallard varies clinally; for example, birds from Greenland, though larger, have smaller bills, paler plumage, and stockier bodies than birds further south, and are sometimes classified as a separate subspecies, the Greenland mallard (A. p. conboschas).[21]

text: Description[edit]

text: The mallard is a medium-sized waterfowl species that is often slightly heavier than most other dabbling ducks. It is 50–65 cm (20–26 in) long – of which the body makes up around two-thirds – has a wingspan of 81–98 cm (32–39 in),[22]:505 and weighs 0.72–1.58 kg (1.6–3.5 lb).[23] Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 25.7 to 30.6 cm (10.1 to 12.0 in), the bill is 4.4 to 6.1 cm (1.7 to 2.4 in), and the tarsus is 4.1 to 4.8 cm (1.6 to 1.9 in).[24]

text: The breeding male mallard is unmistakable, with a glossy bottle-green head and a white collar that demarcates the head from the purple-tinged brown breast, grey-brown wings, and a pale grey belly.[25] The rear of the male is black, with white-bordered dark tail feathers.[22]:506 The bill of the male is a yellowish-orange tipped with black, with that of the female generally darker and ranging from black to mottled orange and brown.[26] The female mallard is predominantly mottled, with each individual feather showing sharp contrast from buff to very dark brown, a coloration shared by most female dabbling ducks, and has buff cheeks, eyebrow, throat, and neck, with a darker crown and eye-stripe.[22]:506

text: Both male and female mallards have distinct iridescent purple-blue speculum feathers edged with white, which are prominent in flight or at rest but temporarily shed during the annual summer moult.[27] Upon hatching, the plumage of the duckling is yellow on the underside and face (with streaks by the eyes) and black on the back (with some yellow spots) all the way to the top and back of the head.[28] Its legs and bill are also black.[28] As it nears a month in age, the duckling's plumage starts becoming drab, looking more like the female, though more streaked, and its legs lose their dark grey colouring.[22]:506 Two months after hatching, the fledgling period has ended, and the duckling is now a juvenile.[29] Between three and four months of age, the juvenile can finally begin flying, as its wings are fully developed for flight (which can be confirmed by the sight of purple speculum feathers). Its bill soon loses its dark grey colouring, and its sex can finally be distinguished visually by three factors: 1) the bill is yellow in males, but black and orange in females;[30] 2) the breast feathers are reddish-brown in males, but brown in females;[30] and 3) in males, the centre tail feather (drake feather) is curled, but in females, the centre tail feather is straight.[30] During the final period of maturity leading up to adulthood (6–10 months of age), the plumage of female juveniles remains the same while the plumage of male juveniles gradually changes to its characteristic colours.[31] This change in plumage also applies to adult mallard males when they transition in and out of their non-breeding eclipse plumage at the beginning and the end of the summer moulting period.[31] The adulthood age for mallards is fourteen months, and the average life expectancy is three years, but they can live to twenty.[32]

text: Several species of duck have brown-plumaged females that can be confused with the female mallard.[33] The female gadwall (A. strepera) has an orange-lined bill, white belly, black and white speculum that is seen as a white square on the wings in flight, and is a smaller bird.[22]:506 More similar to the female mallard in North America are the American black duck (A. rubripes), which is notably darker-hued in both sexes than the mallard,[34] and the mottled duck (A. fulvigula), which is somewhat darker than the female mallard, and with slightly different bare-part colouration and no white edge on the speculum.[34]

text: In captivity, domestic ducks come in wild-type plumages, white, and other colours.[35] Most of these colour variants are also known in domestic mallards not bred as livestock, but kept as pets, aviary birds, etc., where they are rare but increasing in availability.[35]

text: A noisy species, the female has the deep quack stereotypically associated with ducks.[22]:507 Male mallards make a sound phonetically similar to that of the female, a typical quack, but it is a deep and raspy and can also sound like breeeeze.[citation needed] When incubating a nest, or when offspring are present, females vocalise differently, making a call that sounds like a truncated version of the usual quack. They hiss if the nest or offspring are threatened or interfered with. When taking off, the wings of a mallard produce a characteristic faint whistling noise.[37]

text: The mallard is a rare example of both Allen's Rule and Bergmann's Rule in birds.[38] Bergmann's Rule, which states that polar forms tend to be larger than related ones from warmer climates, has numerous examples in birds,[39] as in case of the Greenland mallard which is larger than the mallards further south.[21] Allen's Rule says that appendages like ears tend to be smaller in polar forms to minimise heat loss, and larger in tropical and desert equivalents to facilitate heat diffusion, and that the polar taxa are stockier overall.[40] Examples of this rule in birds are rare as they lack external ears, but the bill of ducks is supplied with a few blood vessels to prevent heat loss,[41] and, as in the Greenland mallard, the bill is smaller than that of birds farther south, illustrating the rule.[21]

text: Due to the variability of the mallard's genetic code, which gives it its vast interbreeding capability, mutations in the genes that decide plumage colour are very common and have resulted in a wide variety of hybrids such as Brewer's duck (mallard × gadwall, Anas strepera).[42]

text: Distribution and habitat[edit]

text: The mallard is widely distributed across the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; in North America its range extends from southern and central Alaska to Mexico, the Hawaiian Islands,[43] across Eurasia,[44] from Iceland[45] and southern Greenland[43] and parts of Morocco (North Africa)[45] in the west, Scandinavia[45] and Britain[45] to the north, and to Siberia,[46] Japan,[47] and South Korea,[47] in the east, south-eastern and south-western Australia[48] and New Zealand[49] in the Southern hemisphere.[22]:505[1] It is strongly migratory in the northern parts of its breeding range, and winters farther south.[50][51] For example, in North America, it winters south to the southern United States and northern Mexico,[52][53] but also regularly strays into Central America and the Caribbean between September and May.[54]

text: The mallard inhabits a wide range of habitats and climates, from Arctic tundra to subtropical regions.[55] It is found in both fresh- and salt-water wetlands, including parks, small ponds, rivers, lakes and estuaries, as well as shallow inlets and open sea within sight of the coastline.[56] Water depths of less than 0.9 metres (3.0 ft) are preferred, with birds avoiding areas more than a few metres deep.[57] They are attracted to bodies of water with aquatic vegetation.[22]:507

text: Behaviour[edit]

text: Feeding[edit]

text: The mallard is omnivorous and very flexible in its choice of food.[58] Its diet may vary based on several factors, including the stage of the breeding cycle, short-term variations in available food, nutrient availability, and interspecific and intraspecific competition.[59] The majority of the mallard's diet seems to be made up of gastropods,[60] invertebrates (including beetles, flies, lepidopterans, dragonflies, and caddisflies),[61] crustaceans,[62] worms,[60] many varieties of seeds and plant matter,[60] and roots and tubers.[62] During the breeding season, male birds were recorded to have eaten 37.6% animal matter and 62.4% plant matter, most notably Echinochloa crus-galli, and nonlaying females ate 37.0% animal matter and 63.0% plant matter, while laying females ate 71.9% animal matter and only 28.1% plant matter.[63] Plants generally make up the larger part of a bird's diet, especially during autumn migration and in the winter.[64][65]

text: The mallard usually feeds by dabbling for plant food or grazing; there are reports of it eating frogs.[66] However, in 2017 a flock of mallards in Romania were observed hunting small migratory birds, including grey wagtail and black redstart, the first documented occasion they had been seen attacking and consuming large vertebrates.[67] It usually nests on a river bank, but not always near water. It is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and forms large flocks, which are known as sords.[citation needed]

text: Breeding[edit]

text: Mallards usually form pairs (in October and November in the Northern Hemisphere) until the female lays eggs at the start of the nesting season, which is around the beginning of spring.[68] At this time she is left by the male who joins up with other males to await the moulting period, which begins in June (in the Northern Hemisphere).[69][70] During the brief time before this, however, the males are still sexually potent and some of them either remain on standby to sire replacement clutches (for female mallards that have lost or abandoned their previous clutch, replacement clutch)[71] or forcibly mate with females that appear to be isolated or unattached regardless of their species and whether or not they have a brood of ducklings.[71][72]

text: Egg clutches number 8–13 creamy white to greenish-buff eggs free of speckles.[73][74] They measure about 58 mm (2.3 in) in length and 32 mm (1.3 in) in width.[74] The eggs are laid on alternate days, and incubation begins when the clutch is almost complete.[74] Incubation takes 27–28 days and fledging takes 50–60 days.[73][75] The ducklings are precocial and fully capable of swimming as soon as they hatch.[76] However, filial imprinting compels them to instinctively stay near the mother, not only for warmth and protection but also to learn about and remember their habitat as well as how and where to forage for food.[77] When ducklings mature into flight-capable juveniles, they learn about and remember their traditional migratory routes (unless they are born and raised in captivity).

text: During the breeding season, both male and female mallards can become aggressive, driving off competitors to themselves or their mate by charging at them.[78] Males tend to fight more than females, and attack each other by repeatedly pecking at their rival's chest, ripping out feathers and even skin on rare occasions.

text: The drakes that end up being left out after the others have paired off with mating partners sometimes target an isolated female duck, even one of a different species, and proceed to chase and peck at her until she weakens, at which point the males take turns copulating with the female.[79] Lebret (1961) calls this behaviour "Attempted Rape Flight", and Stanley Cramp and K.E.L. Simmons (1977) speak of "rape-intent flights".[79] Male mallards also occasionally chase other male ducks of a different species, and even each other, in the same way.[79] In one documented case of "homosexual necrophilia", a male mallard copulated with another male he was chasing after the chased male died upon flying into a glass window.[79] This paper was awarded an Ig Nobel Prize in 2003.[80]

text: Mallards are opportunistically targeted by brood parasites, occasionally having eggs laid in their nests by redheads, ruddy ducks, lesser scaup, gadwalls, northern shovellers, northern pintails, cinnamon teal, common goldeneyes, and other mallards.[81] These eggs are generally accepted when they resemble the eggs of the host mallard, but the hen may attempt to eject them or even abandon the nest if parasitism occurs during egg laying.[82]

text: Predators and threats[edit]

text: Mallards of all ages (but especially young ones) and in all locations must contend with a wide diversity of predators including raptors, mustelids, corvids, snakes, raccoons, opossums, skunks, turtles, large fish, felids, and canids, including domesticated ones.[83] The most prolific natural predators of adult mallards are red foxes (which most often pick off brooding females) and the faster or larger birds of prey, i.e. peregrine falcons, Aquila eagles, or Haliaeetus eagles.[84] In North America, adult mallards face no fewer than 15 species of birds of prey, from northern harriers and short-eared owls (both smaller than a mallard) to huge bald and golden eagles, and about a dozen species of mammalian predator, not counting several more avian and mammalian predators who threaten eggs and nestlings.[82]

text: Mallards are also preyed upon by other waterside apex predators, such as the grey heron,[85] European herring gull, the wels catfish, and the northern pike.[86] Crows (Corvus spp.) are also known to kill ducklings and adults on occasion.[87] Also, mallards may be attacked by larger anseriformes such as swans (Cygnus spp.) and geese during the breeding season, and are frequently driven off by these birds over territorial disputes. Mute swans (C. olor) have been known to attack or even kill mallards if they feel that the ducks pose a threat to their offspring.[88]

text: The predation-avoidance behavior of sleeping with one eye open, allowing one brain hemisphere to remain aware while the other half sleeps, was first demonstrated in mallards, although it is believed to be widespread among birds in general.[89]

text: Status and conservation[edit]

text: Since 1998, the mallard has been rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. This is because it has a large range–more than 20,000 km2 (7700 mi2)–and because its population is increasing, rather than declining by 30% over ten years or three generations and thus is not warranted a vulnerable rating. Also, the population size of the mallard is very large.[90]

text: Unlike many waterfowl, mallards have benefited from human alterations to the world – so much so that they are now considered an invasive species in some regions.[91] They are a common sight in urban parks, lakes, ponds, and other man-made water features in the regions they inhabit, and are often tolerated or encouraged in human habitat due to their placid nature towards humans and their beautiful and iridescent colours.[27] While most are not domesticated, mallards are so successful at coexisting in human regions that the main conservation risk they pose comes from the loss of genetic diversity among a region's traditional ducks once humans and mallards colonise an area. Mallards are very adaptable, being able to live and even thrive in urban areas which may have supported more localised, sensitive species of waterfowl before development.[92] The release of feral mallards in areas where they are not native sometimes creates problems through interbreeding with indigenous waterfowl.[91][93] These non-migratory mallards interbreed with indigenous wild ducks from local populations of closely related species through genetic pollution by producing fertile offspring.[93] Complete hybridisation of various species of wild duck gene pools could result in the extinction of many indigenous waterfowl.[93] The wild mallard itself is the ancestor of most domestic ducks, and its naturally evolved wild gene pool gets genetically polluted in turn by the domesticated and feral populations.[citation needed]

text: Over time, a continuum of hybrids ranging between almost typical examples of either species develop; the speciation process is beginning to reverse itself.[94] This has created conservation concerns for relatives of the mallard, such as the Hawaiian duck,[95][96] the New Zealand grey duck (A. s. superciliosa) subspecies of the Pacific black duck,[95][97] the American black duck,[98][99] the mottled duck,[100] Meller's duck,[101] the yellow-billed duck,[94] and the Mexican duck,[95][100] in the latter case even leading to a dispute as to whether these birds should be considered a species[102] (and thus entitled to more conservation research and funding) or included in the mallard species. Ecological changes and hunting have also led to a decline of local species; for example, the New Zealand grey duck population declined drastically due to overhunting in the mid-20th century.[97] Hybrid offspring of Hawaiian ducks seem to be less well adapted to native habitat, and using them in re-introduction projects apparently reduces success.[95][103] In summary, the problems of mallards "hybridising away" relatives is more a consequence of local ducks declining than of mallards spreading; allopatric speciation and isolating behaviour have produced today's diversity of mallard-like ducks despite the fact that, in most, if not all, of these populations, hybridisation must have occurred to some extent.[104]

text: Invasiveness[edit]

text: Mallards are causing severe "genetic pollution" to South Africa's biodiversity by breeding with endemic ducks[105] even though the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds – an agreement to protect the local waterfowl populations – applies to the mallard as well as other ducks.[106] The hybrids of mallards and the yellow-billed duck are fertile, capable of producing hybrid offspring.[107] If this continues, only hybrids occur and in the long term result in the extinction of various indigenous waterfowl.[107] The mallard duck can cross breed with 63 other species, posing a severe threat to indigenous waterfowl's genetic integrity.[108] Mallards and their hybrids compete with indigenous birds for resources, including nest sites, roosting sites, and food.[105]

text: Availability of mallards, mallard ducklings, and fertilised mallard eggs for public sale and private ownership, either as livestock or as pets, is currently legal in the United States except for the state of Florida, which has currently banned domestic ownership of mallards. This is to prevent hybridisation with the native mottled duck.[109]

text: The mallard is considered an invasive species in New Zealand,[22]:505 where it competes with the local New Zealand grey duck, which was overhunted in the past. There, and elsewhere, mallards are spreading with increasing urbanisation and hybridising with local relatives.[95]

text: The Eastern or Chinese spot-billed duck is currently introgressing into the mallard populations of the Primorsky Krai, possibly due to habitat changes from global warming.[19] The Mariana mallard was a resident allopatric population – in most respects a good species – apparently initially derived from mallard-Pacific black duck hybrids;[110] unfortunately, it became extinct in the late 20th century.[111]

text: The Laysan duck is an insular relative of the mallard, with a very small and fluctuating population.[112][1] Mallards sometimes arrive on its island home during migration, and can be expected to occasionally have remained and hybridised with Laysan ducks as long as these species have existed.[113] However, these hybrids are less well adapted to the peculiar ecological conditions of Laysan Island than the local ducks, and thus have lower fitness. These ducks were found throughout the Hawaiian archipelago before 400 AD, after which they suffered a rapid decline during the Polynesian colonisation.[114] Now, their range includes only Laysan Island.[114] It is one of the successfully translocated birds, after having become nearly extinct in the early 20th century.[115]

text: Relationship with humans[edit]

text: Domestication[edit]

text: Mallard have often been ubiquitous in their regions among the ponds, rivers, and streams of human parks, farms, and other man-made waterways – even to the point of visiting water features in human courtyards.[116]

text: Mallard have had a long relationship with humans. Almost all domestic duck breeds derive from the mallard, with the exception of a few Muscovy breeds.[117] Mallards are generally monogamous while domestic ducks are mostly polygamous. Domestic ducks have no territorial behaviour and are less aggressive than mallards.[118] Domestic ducks are mostly kept for meat, as their eggs have a strong flavor.[118] They were first domesticated in Southeast Asia at least 4000 years ago, during the Neolithic Age, and were also farmed by the Romans in Europe, and the Malays in Asia.[119] It is also common for mallards to mate with domestic ducks and produce hybrid offspring that are fully fertile.[120] Due to this, mallards have been found to be contaminated with the genes of the domestic duck.[120]

text: Hunting[edit]

text: Mallards are one of the most common varieties of ducks hunted as a sport. The ideal location for hunting mallards is considered to be where the water level is somewhat shallow.[121] Hunting mallards might cause the population to decline in some places, at some times, and with some populations.[122] In certain countries, the mallard may be legally shot but is protected under national acts and policies. For example, in the United Kingdom, the mallard is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which restricts certain hunting methods or taking or killing mallards.[123]

text: As food[edit]

text: Since ancient times, the mallard has been eaten as food. The wild mallard was eaten in Neolithic Greece.[124] Usually, only the breast and thigh meat is eaten.[125] It does not need to be hung before preparation, and is often braised or roasted, sometimes flavoured with bitter orange or with port.[126]