The Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is one of the most recognizable and widely distributed waterfowl species. This familiar duck, with the male’s distinct iridescent green head, is often the first species people encounter in urban parks and natural wetlands. The Mallard Duck is not endangered, threatened, or vulnerable. It maintains an exceptionally robust and widespread global population, thriving in numerous environments.
Current Global Conservation Status
The official conservation status of the Mallard is determined by major international and national bodies. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the Mallard as a species of “Least Concern” since 1998. This designation is given to species that are widespread and abundant, reflecting a range covering over 20 million square kilometers and a population that is stable or increasing in many areas.
In North America, the 2024 survey estimated the Mallard population at approximately 6.6 million birds in the traditional survey area. Although this figure fluctuates annually due to factors like localized drought, it indicates a massive, healthy population base. The sheer size and geographic spread of the population mean that localized declines do not impact global stability.
Factors Driving Mallard Success
The Mallard’s abundance is directly linked to its remarkable biological flexibility, allowing it to succeed where more specialized species struggle. They exhibit extreme dietary flexibility, functioning as omnivorous scavengers that consume aquatic plants, seeds, insects, small fish, and agricultural grains. This ability to utilize diverse food sources, including those resulting from human activity, is a major advantage.
Mallards are also highly adaptable to a vast array of habitats, ranging from rural wetlands and coastal areas to highly modified urban environments. They readily use human-made features like park ponds and canals, often nesting successfully in upland areas near water. Their reproductive rate contributes significantly to their success; females typically lay between six and eleven eggs in a clutch and readily attempt to re-nest if an early clutch is lost.
This successful generalist strategy contrasts sharply with the needs of species requiring specific, unaltered habitats. The Mallard’s capacity to coexist with, and even benefit from, human alteration of the landscape has allowed it to colonize new areas and maintain high population numbers globally.
Localized Threats and Hybridization Concerns
Despite their global security, Mallards face specific, localized issues, primarily hybridization with related ducks. The Mallard is the ancestor of most domestic duck breeds, and its ability to interbreed with other Anas species is a management concern in certain regions. This interbreeding leads to genetic dilution, compromising the unique genetic identity of native duck populations.
In areas where Mallards have been introduced, such as New Zealand and Hawaii, this hybridization poses a serious threat to indigenous species like the New Zealand Grey Duck and the Hawaiian Duck (Koloa maoli). The resulting fertile hybrids can lead to the loss of a native species’ distinct gene pool over generations, sometimes called genetic extinction. Furthermore, wild Mallard populations in some regions, particularly the Atlantic Flyway of North America, show high levels of genetic material from domestic or game-farm Mallards, which may introduce traits less suited to the wild.