New Zealand Introduced Animals > Mallard Duck

Mallard Duck

Anas platyrhynchos

INTRODUCED; COMMON; RESIDENT

DISTRIBUTION: Native to North America, Eurasia, and north-western Africa. Widespread on all three main Islands of New Zealand and now vastly outnumbers the native grey duck.

HABITAT: Mallard inhabit a wide range of wetlands in cities, towns and farms, although uncommon on the coast and rare along remote rivers and streams.

BREEDING: A simple bowl of vegetation on the ground makes up the nest, this is usually hidden in thick grass or under a bush. Peak laying is in October, and 8-14 eggs make up the clutch. Incubation takes about 27 days.

FOOD: They are omnivorous with much of their food consisting of the fruit and seeds of aqautic and semi-aquatic plants. They also eat a wide range of small aquatic animals. They will forage on shore but usually feed in shallow water, by dabbling and up-ending.

CALL: The most common call is the females well-known raucous quack-quack-quack.

GENERAL: First introduced for sport from Europe in 1867. It is very similar in appearance to the native grey duck, but without the black and white striped face. Also the speculum (the window of colour in the wing) is iridescent blue on the mallard, compared with green on the grey duck.


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