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Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

IUCN Red List history

Year Category
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern

Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency Does not normally occur in forest
Land mass type   Average mass -

Distribution

  Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) 22,500,000 medium
Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) 22,500,000 medium
Number of locations -
Fragmentation -

Population & trend

  Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
No. of mature individuals poor Estimated 2009
Population trend Decreasing -
Number of subpopulations - - -
Largest subpopulation - - -
Generation length (yrs) 6.6 - - -
Population justification: The global population is estimated to number > c.19,000,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2006), while national population estimates include: c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 wintering individuals in China; c.100-10,000 breeding pairs and c.10,000 wintering individuals in Korea and c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.10,000 wintering individuals in Japan (Brazil 2009).
Trend justification: The overall population trend is decreasing, although some populations may be stable, fluctuating, increasing, and others have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006). This species has undergone a large and statistically significant increase over the last 40 years in North America (99.3% increase over 40 years, equating to a 18.8% increase per decade; data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007) In Europe, trends since 1980 have been stable, based on provisional data for 21 countries from the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (EBCC/RSPB/BirdLife/Statistics Netherlands; P. Vorisek in litt. 2008).

Country/Territory distribution

Country/Territory Occurrence status Extinct Breeding Non-breeding Passage
Afghanistan Native No   Yes  
Albania Native No      
Algeria Native No      
Antigua and Barbuda Vagrant No      
Armenia Native No      
Australia Introduced No Yes    
Austria Native No      
Azerbaijan Native No      
Bahamas Native No      
Bahrain Native No   Yes  
Bangladesh Native No      
Belarus Native No      
Belgium Native No      
Belize Native No      
Bermuda (to UK) Native No Yes    
Bhutan Native No      
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) Native No      
Bosnia and Herzegovina Native No      
Brunei Vagrant No      
Bulgaria Native No      
Canada Native No     Yes
Cayman Islands (to UK) Vagrant No      
China (mainland) Native No      
Cook Islands Vagrant No      
Costa Rica Native No   Yes  
Croatia Native No     Yes
Cuba Native No      
Curaçao (to Netherlands) Native No      
Cyprus Native No      
Czech Republic Native No      
Denmark Native No     Yes
Djibouti Vagrant No      
Dominican Republic Vagrant No   Yes Yes
Egypt Native No      
Eritrea Native No      
Estonia Native No     Yes
Ethiopia Native No      
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Native No      
Faroe Islands (to Denmark) Native No      
Fiji Vagrant No   Yes  
Finland Native No     Yes
France Native No     Yes
Gambia Vagrant No      
Georgia Native No      
Germany Native No     Yes
Gibraltar (to UK) Vagrant No      
Greece Native No     Yes
Greenland (to Denmark) Native No      
Guadeloupe (to France) Vagrant No      
Guam (to USA) Native No   Yes  
Guatemala Native No      
Haiti Native No      
Honduras Native No      
Hong Kong (China) Native No      
Hungary Native No     Yes
Iceland Native No      
India Native No      
Iran, Islamic Republic of Native No      
Iraq Native No   Yes Yes
Ireland Native No      
Israel Native No Yes    
Italy Native No      
Jamaica Vagrant No      
Japan Native No      
Jordan Native No   Yes  
Kazakhstan Native No Yes    
Kenya Native No      
Kiribati Vagrant No      
Kuwait Native No   Yes Yes
Kyrgyzstan Native No Yes    
Latvia Native No      
Lebanon Native No   Yes Yes
Libya Native No      
Liechtenstein Native No      
Lithuania Native No     Yes
Luxembourg Native No      
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Native No      
Malaysia Native No      
Mali Vagrant No      
Malta Native No      
Marshall Islands Unknown No      
Martinique (to France) Vagrant No      
Mauritania Native No      
Mexico Native No      
Micronesia, Federated States of Unknown No      
Moldova Native No      
Mongolia Native No Yes    
Montenegro Native No      
Morocco Native No      
Myanmar Native No      
Nepal Native No      
Netherlands Native No      
New Caledonia (to France) Introduced possibly Yes    
New Zealand Introduced No Yes    
Nicaragua Native No      
Niger Vagrant No      
Nigeria Vagrant No      
North Korea Native No Yes    
Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) Native No   Yes  
Norway Native No     Yes
Oman Native No   Yes  
Pakistan Native No      
Palestinian Authority Territories Native No   Yes  
Panama Vagrant No      
Philippines Native No      
Poland Native No     Yes
Portugal Native No      
Puerto Rico (to USA) Native No      
Qatar Native No   Yes  
Romania Native No     Yes
Russia (Asian) Native No Yes    
Russia (Central Asian) Native No     Yes
Russia (European) Native No     Yes
Saudi Arabia Native No   Yes  
Senegal Vagrant No      
Serbia Native No      
Seychelles Vagrant No      
Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) Native No      
Slovakia Native No     Yes
Slovenia Native No      
Somalia Native No      
South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands Native No      
South Korea Native No      
South Sudan Native No   Yes  
Spain Native No      
Sri Lanka Vagrant No   Yes  
St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) Native No Yes   Yes
St Vincent and the Grenadines Vagrant No      
Sudan Native No      
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) Vagrant No      
Sweden Native No     Yes
Switzerland Native No      
Syria Native No     Yes
Taiwan (China) Native No      
Tajikistan Native No Yes    
Thailand Vagrant No      
Tunisia Native No      
Turkey Native No      
Turkmenistan Native No Yes    
Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) Native No      
Ukraine Native No     Yes
United Arab Emirates Native No   Yes  
United Kingdom Native No      
USA Native No Yes    
Uzbekistan Native No Yes    
Vanuatu Vagrant No      
Vietnam Native No      
Virgin Islands (to USA) Vagrant No      
Yemen Native No   Yes  
Zambia Vagrant No      

Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria

Country/Territory IBA Name IBA link
Afghanistan Hamun-i-Puzak site factsheet
Azerbaijan Shahdidi spit site factsheet
Belarus Mid Prypiac' site factsheet
Bulgaria Shabla Lake Complex site factsheet
Bulgaria Straldzha Complex site factsheet
Canada Boundary Bay - Roberts Bank - Sturgeon Bank (Fraser River Estuary) site factsheet
Canada Cumberland Marshes site factsheet
Canada Delta Marsh site factsheet
Canada Eagle, Namaka and Stobart Lakes site factsheet
Canada Long Point Peninsula and Marshes site factsheet
Canada Oak Hammock Marsh WMA site factsheet
Canada Whitewater Lake site factsheet
China (mainland) Aksu River basin site factsheet
China (mainland) Bachu Oasis site factsheet
China (mainland) Barkol Lake and grassland site factsheet
China (mainland) Bosten Lake site factsheet
China (mainland) Desert and wetland from Northern Urumqi to Dabancheng site factsheet
China (mainland) Ebi Nur and Kuytun River site factsheet
China (mainland) Hongfeng Hu and Baihua Hu site factsheet
China (mainland) Jianhu Nature Reserve site factsheet
China (mainland) Mengjin Huanghe Nature Reserve site factsheet
China (mainland) Oasis, Desert and Wetland at Mosuowan site factsheet
China (mainland) Taipo Hu Nature Reserve site factsheet
China (mainland) Tarim Euphrates Poplar Forest Nature Reserve site factsheet
China (mainland) Tumen River at Jingxin-Fangchuan site factsheet
China (mainland) Ulungur Hu and Jili Hu (Fu Hai) site factsheet
China (mainland) Xingkai Hu Nature Reserve site factsheet
China (mainland) Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve site factsheet
China (mainland) Zhengzhou Huanghe Wetland Nature Reserve site factsheet
Croatia Alluvial wetlands of the River Danube site factsheet
France Camargue site factsheet
Greece Lake Kerkini site factsheet
Hungary Kis-Sárrét site factsheet
Hungary Lake Balaton site factsheet
Hungary Sárvíz Valley site factsheet
India Kanjli Lake site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Anzali Mordab complex site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Arjan Protected Area site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Bandar Kiashar lagoon and mouth of Sefid Rud site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Dez river marshes and plains site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Fereidoonkenar marshes site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Gavekhoni lake, and marshes of the lower Zaindeh Rud site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Gomishan marshes and Turkoman steppes site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Hamoun-i Sabari and Hamoun-i Hirmand site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Hilleh Protected Area site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Horeh Bamdej site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Kaftar lake site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Lake Bakhtegan, Lake Tashk and Kamjan marshes site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Lake Maharlu site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgan Bay site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Seyed Mohalli, Zarin Kola and Larim Sara site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of Shadegan marshes and tidal mudflats of Khor-al Amaya and Khor Musa site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of South Caspian shore, from Astara to Gomishan site factsheet
Iran, Islamic Republic of South end of the Hamoun-i Puzak site factsheet
Iraq Haur Al Hammar site factsheet
Iraq Mahzam and Lake Tharthar site factsheet
Japan Lake Hyoko site factsheet
Japan Lakes Oyama Kamiike and Shimoike site factsheet
Kazakhstan Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve site factsheet
Kazakhstan Kumdykol-Zharlykol Lake System site factsheet
Kazakhstan Tuzashchy and Karasor Lakes site factsheet
Kazakhstan Uyalyshalkar Lake System site factsheet
Kazakhstan Zhumay-Mayshukyr Lake System site factsheet
Kyrgyzstan Water reservation of Northern Chu Valley site factsheet
Mongolia Khar Us Lake site factsheet
Mongolia Otgontenger Mountain site factsheet
Mongolia Selengiin Tsagaan Lake site factsheet
Mongolia Teshigiin Olon Lakes site factsheet
Pakistan Head Qadirabad Game Reserve site factsheet
Pakistan Lal Sohanra National Park site factsheet
Pakistan Mangla Lake site factsheet
Pakistan Marala Game Reserve site factsheet
Poland Jeziorsko reservoir site factsheet
Poland Mietkow reservoir site factsheet
Poland Nysa reservoir site factsheet
Romania Danube Delta site factsheet
Romania Lunca Siretului Mijlociu site factsheet
Russia (Asian) Bolon' lake site factsheet
Russia (Central Asian) Lake system near Lotoshnoye village site factsheet
Russia (European) Burukshunskiye limans site factsheet
Russia (European) Delta of the River Don site factsheet
Russia (European) Kamsko-Ikski area site factsheet
Russia (European) Krasnodarskoye reservoir site factsheet
Russia (European) Surski reservoir site factsheet
Russia (European) Valley of Terek River (Mozdokski District) site factsheet
Russia (European) Varnavinsko-Kryukovskaya irrigation system site factsheet
Russia (European) Veselovskoye reservoir site factsheet
South Korea Cheonsu Bay site factsheet
South Korea Dongjin estuary site factsheet
South Korea Donglim reservoir site factsheet
South Korea Gangjin Bay site factsheet
South Korea Geum-gang river and estuary site factsheet
South Korea Geumho-ho lake site factsheet
South Korea Gocheonam-ho lake site factsheet
South Korea Han-gang estuary site factsheet
South Korea Han-gang river site factsheet
South Korea Junam reservoir site factsheet
South Korea Mangyeong estuary site factsheet
South Korea Nakdong-gang estuary site factsheet
South Korea Sihwa-ho lake site factsheet
South Korea Tidal flat area of southern Ganghwa-do island site factsheet
South Korea Upo swamp site factsheet
South Korea Yeongam-ho lake site factsheet
Spain Ampurdán marshes site factsheet
Spain Ebro delta site factsheet
Spain Tablas de Daimiel marshes; 'Vicario' and 'Gasset' reservoirs and Malagón lakes site factsheet
Spain Tierra de Campos steppes site factsheet
Tajikistan Kayrakkum Reservoir site factsheet
Turkmenistan Chokrak-Tutly site factsheet
Turkmenistan Gurtli site factsheet
Turkmenistan Jarsay - Khangui site factsheet
Turkmenistan Ketteshor - Ramankol site factsheet
Turkmenistan Soltandag - Gyzylburun site factsheet
Turkmenistan Turkmenbashy Bay site factsheet
Turkmenistan Zeyit - Kelif site factsheet
Ukraine Dnipro delta site factsheet
Ukraine Karkinits'ka and Dzharylgats'ka bays site factsheet
Ukraine Kyivs'ke reservoir site factsheet
Ukraine Molochnyj Liman site factsheet
Ukraine Shagany-Alibej-Burnas lake-system site factsheet
Ukraine Yagorlyts'ka and Tendrivs'ka Bays site factsheet
USA Cache and Lower White Rivers site factsheet
USA Montezuma Wetlands Complex site factsheet
Uzbekistan Achinskoe Lake site factsheet
Uzbekistan Amudarya floodlands near Termez site factsheet
Uzbekistan Dalverzin State Forestry and Hunting Management Area site factsheet
Uzbekistan Dengizkul Lake site factsheet
Uzbekistan Karakyr Lakes site factsheet
Uzbekistan Karnabchul Steppe site factsheet
Uzbekistan Northern shore of Aydarkul Lake site factsheet
Uzbekistan Sudochye Lake site factsheet
Uzbekistan Talimarzhan Reservoir site factsheet
Uzbekistan Tudakul and Kuymazar Reservoirs site factsheet
Uzbekistan Tuyabuguz Reservoir site factsheet
Uzbekistan Yuzhno-Surkhan (South-Surkhan) Reservoir site factsheet

Habitats & altitude

Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Aquaculture Ponds suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Aquaculture Ponds suitable breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches suitable breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) suitable breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Ponds (below 8ha) suitable breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Ponds (below 8ha) suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Wastewater Treatment Areas suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Wastewater Treatment Areas suitable breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Water Storage Areas (over 8ha) suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine Water Storage Areas (over 8ha) suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Seasonal/Intermittent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Seasonal/Intermittent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools suitable non-breeding
Altitude 0 - 1000 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Utilisation

Purpose Primary form used Life stage used Source Scale Level Timing
Pets Whole Adults and juveniles Wild Subsistence, National Non-trivial Recent
Food (human) Whole Adults and juveniles Wild Subsistence, National Non-trivial Recent
Pets Whole Adults and juveniles Wild International Non-trivial Recent
Sport Whole Adults and juveniles Wild Subsistence, National Non-trivial Recent

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Anas platyrhynchos. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013.

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.

Key facts
Current IUCN Red List category Least Concern
Family Anatidae (Ducks, geese and swans)
Species name author Linnaeus, 1758
Population size mature individuals
Population trend Decreasing
Distribution size (breeding/resident) 22,500,000 km2
Country endemic? No
Links to further information
- Summary information on this species