Fish & Game is dedicating a significant amount of resources and staff time to Mallard research.

Here you'll be able to find out what we're doing in the field to both improve our knowledge of this valued game bird and ultimately benefit hunters.

You'll find a stack of information here which will be updated as milestones are met and new reports come to hand. If you want to be informed of new posts to this page, don't forget to 'like' Fish & Game on Facebook.

Latest update: March 2018

Jenn Sheppard accepts PhD for mallard thesis dedicated to ‘all keen duck hunters’

In January 2018, Jenn Sheppard was awarded a PhD for her thesis on breeding ecology and productivity…

Effects of Surgically Implanted Transmitters on Reproduction and Survival in Mallards

Abdominal implanted radio transmitters have been widely used in studies of waterbird ecology.

Howev…

Harvest dynamics & mallard duck survival

A Fish & Game study has probed the impact of hunting regulations such as bag limits and season lengt…

Mallard Research Update March 2017

By Jenn Sheppard

Despite being in New Zealand for 150 years, little is known about mallard ducks. T…

Insights into Duckling Survival & Female Mallard Brooding Behaviour

Southland Fish & Game Officer Erin Garrick has received top marks for her thesis towards a Masters i…

Leading Mallard Duck Researcher Jenn Sheppard Updates Fish & Game’s Three Year Telemetry (Tracking ) Project

The study, spearheaded by the University of Auckland PhD student Jenn and Auckland Waikato Region ga…

Tracking Mallards – Latest Word from the Researchers

Fish & Game’s major mallard research project is continuing – but already producing some valuable ins…

Duck Research Milestone Reached

Fish & Game’s landmark mallard research project has finished its first season, and while there are a…

Hopes for Better Duck Hunting Season

Central North Island Fish & Game officers are hopeful of a better game bird season in May, after tho…

Waikato Duck Study New Zealand First

A groundbreaking Fish & Game study is helping researchers shed light on the nesting habits of mallar…

Top Canadian Duck Researcher Recruited For Mallard Team

Our PhD student Jenn Sheppard is here, enrolled at Auckland and settling in well. It’s been all acti…

Standardising Monitoring Techniques

Perhaps the least 'sexy' of the mallard research projects, monitoring trends in mallard populations …

Citizen Science For Reporting On Mallard Brood, Survival And Habitat

Latest update (April 15, 2014): click here for more details about this project.

Operation Duck Pond…