Management Information
Physical: Anas platyrhynchos is the most harvested waterfowl in North America. Hunting and hunting restrictions have served as a population control for mallards for many years. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has adopted adaptive harvest management which utilizes population dynamics and monitoring to regulate mallard hunting in order to better manage A. platyrhynchos populations in the United States (Nichols, 2007; USFWS, 2007, Drilling et al, 2002).
In Australia, where A. platyrhynchos hybridizes with native Pacific black duck A. superciliosa eradication efforts includding trapping, shooting, and opportunistic capture by hand of mallards has been successfully employed. The majority were removed by shooting, hand capture was reserved for chicks and juveniles, and trapping was found to be efficient but was disturbed by the public. Eradication is deemed feasible but will require ongoing management to prevent reintroductions (Tracey et al, 2008).
Location Specific Management InformationAustralia
The Bureau of Rural Sciences, Australia, recently developed a risk assessment model ( Bomford, 2003) which has been endorsed by the National Vertebrate Pests Committee and may be used as the basis for future exotic species import applications.To assign an exotic species to a threat category, three risk scores are calculated: the risk that (1) an escaped or released individual would harm people, (2) escaped or released individuals would establish a wild free-living population (3) the species would be a pest if a wild population did establish. These three risk scores are then used to assign the exotic species to one of four threat categories: extreme, serious, moderate or low.Anas platyrhynhos has been assigned an Extreme threat catergory for Australia. These animals should not be allowed to enter, nor be kept in any State or Territory. (Special consideration may be given to scientific institutions on a case by case basis.) Any species that has not been assessed previously should be considered to be in the Extreme Threat Category and should be treated accordingly, until a risk assessment is conducted. Hawaii (United States (USA))
The mallard was placed on the State of Hawai'i's List of Restricted Animals for importation in the 1980's. Erdacation of feral mallards has been recommended by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Since biologists may have trouble distinguishing between Hawaiian ducks, hybrids, and mallards, scientists at the University of California at Davis are developing accurate identification techniques (Uyehara eet al, 2007). United States (USA)
Adaptive harvest management utilizes population dynamics and monitoring to regulate mallard hunting in order to better manage Anas platyrhynchos populations in the United States (Nichols, 2007; USFWS, 2007.)
Management Resources/Links
3. Keawcharoen, Julthatip; van Riel, Debby; van Amerongen, Geert; Bestebroer, Theo; Beyer, Walter E.; van Lavieren, Rob; Osterhaus, Albert D. M. E; Fouchier, Ron A. M; Kuiken, Thijs., 2008. Wild ducks as long-distance vectors of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5NI). Emerging Infectious Diseases. 14(4). APR 2008. 600-607. 5. Nichols, James D.; Runge, Michael C.; Johnson, Fred A.; Williams, Byron K., 2007. Adaptive harvest management of North American waterfowl populations: a brief history and future prospects. Journal of Ornithology. 148(Suppl. 2). DEC 2007. S343-S349. 8. Uyehara, Kimberly J.; Engilis, Andrew Jr.; Dugger, Bruce D., 2008. Wetland features that influence occupancy by the endangered Hawaiian Duck. Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 120(2). JUN 2008. 311-319. Results Page: 1
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