The mallard is the most common duck in New Zealand and the Northern Hemisphere. From 1867 repeated attempts were made to acclimatise English game farm stock, but these failed. Then, in the 1930s and 40s, eggs from San Francisco came in wicker baskets onboard flying boats. After that, mallards rapidly spread throughout the country
Today there are about 4.5 million mallards, so many that they are sometimes a nuisance. The mallard is the mainstay of the duck hunter’s bag
Mallards are most likely to be found on shallow bodies of fresh water such as wetlands and ponds, on lakes and even flooded fields
They are a medium-to-large dabbling duck that is most recognisable by the male’s glossy green head and white collar around the neck. The female is a mottled brown with a brown bill. Both sexes have orange feet and a purple-blue speculum with both sides outlined in white
