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Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Introduced Mallards occur in Australia, especially around wetlands and places where people keep or release waterfowl. They can compete and interbreed with native ducks, particularly the Pacific Black Duck, so accurate identification and locally approved management matter.

Key facts

Type: Pest animal, bird.

Native to: Europe, Asia and North America..

Established in: QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, SA, WA.

Other names: Common Mallard, Pato de collar, Canard colvert, Ánade azulón.

Best time to act: Survey year-round, with extra checks during local breeding and duckling seasons when adults and broods may be easier to locate.

Identification

  • A medium-to-large, stout duck with a broad, flattened bill.
  • Adult males have a glossy green head, yellow bill, narrow white neck ring, chestnut breast and grey body.
  • Females are mottled brown, with an orange-brown bill and a darker stripe through the eye.
  • Both sexes have a blue-purple patch on the wing, usually bordered by white, and orange legs.
  • Males outside their bright breeding plumage become more mottled brown, but retain the wing patch.
  • Look-alike: The native Pacific Black Duck is often confused with female or dull-plumaged Mallards; it is generally darker and has a more distinct dark stripe through the eye.
  • Look-alike: Domestic ducks and Mallard hybrids can vary greatly in colour and may be difficult to identify from plumage alone.

Where it lives

In Australia, Mallards use wetlands, lakes, rivers, farm dams and urban ponds, including sites modified by people.

Why it matters

  • Mallards can compete with native ducks for food, nesting places and other resources.
  • They interbreed with Pacific Black Ducks, which can alter the genetic makeup of native populations.
  • They feed on aquatic plants and small animals, and may affect wetland communities where they become numerous.
  • Flocks can foul water and heavily used park areas.

How it spreads

  • Mallards can fly between wetlands and disperse to new sites.
  • Escaped or deliberately released domestic and ornamental ducks can establish or add to local populations.
  • People can also move birds between sites by transporting or releasing them.

Control methods

  • First confirm the identification and assess the site and local impacts; seek advice from the relevant state or territory wildlife or biosecurity agency.
  • Use non-lethal measures such as preventing releases, not feeding birds, and reducing access to attractive food or nesting areas where practical.
  • Capture, removal, nest or egg management, and any lethal control should use approved humane methods and be carried out only by suitably authorised people.
  • Monitor treated sites and nearby wetlands for surviving birds, new arrivals and signs of breeding, and repeat approved actions as needed.

Site hygiene and welfare

  • Do not transport or release Mallards between wetlands; clean boats and wetland gear between sites to reduce the movement of mud, plant material and aquatic organisms.
  • Avoid carrying wet soil or plant material on boots, vehicles or equipment from one wetland to another.
  • Use methods set out in the national model codes of practice and standard operating procedures for the species.
  • Coordinate control with neighbours and the local government biosecurity plan, as isolated effort is quickly undone by reinvasion.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: General biosecurity duty. Not prohibited matter in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Declared animal. Declared animals have legal restrictions, which can cover keeping, moving, selling and releasing them, and landowners may be required to control them.
  • Western Australia: Permitted, not declared. Listed as a permitted organism in WA, so it can be brought in, but it is not a declared pest.
  • Tasmania: Not a declared pest. Not a declared pest or prohibited matter in Tasmania. Importing animals is still controlled by Biosecurity Tasmania.
  • Northern Territory: Prohibited entrant. Wildlife that is not native to the NT is a prohibited entrant, so you need an NT permit to bring it in or keep it. Report any wild sighting to the NT Government.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Australian Capital Territory: Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT), administered by ACT Biosecurity
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources