Fish & Game NZ staff count waterfowl populations and evaluate their habitat each year.

This work includes aerial counts of swans and geese, banding of paradise ducks and the management of elaborate hunter diary systems to monitor the harvest of mallard, grey and shoveler ducks. This allows game bird seasons and limits to be set with a precision that ensures the birds are not over-harvested so they will be around in equal numbers in the years to come.

Fish & Game NZ is active in saving habitat and even creating it and has fought major court cases on behalf of waterfowl to prevent their homes being drained and lost forever.

Ducks

There are four key species of duck in New Zealand: Mallard, Grey, Shoveller and Paradise.

Other Game Waterfowl

Black Swan are New Zealand's other species of waterfowl which may be hunted as game birds