The Mallard is the most abundant and widely distributed dabbling duck species in Canada, and is most abundant in the Prairie provinces. Mallards have been spreading eastward for decades and are now well established in the Maritimes. In western Canada, the Mallard population has recovered from the drought periods of the 1980's and early 2000's and has been increasing since 2006. The population in eastern Canada has also been increasing steadily. Mallard harvest levels have declined in the 1970s to the 1980s but have since stabilized. It remains the most extensively hunted duck species across the country. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Mallards are among the most heavily hunted waterfowl species in North America (Boomer et al. 2013). They are widely distributed and adaptable, breeding in habitats as diverse as the boreal forest and large cities. Mallards are the most studied waterfowl species, and more effort has been directed towards their management than for any other North American duck species (Drilling et al. 2002). There is increasing hybridization between the Mallard and the Black Duck, in part due to the eastward expansion of the Mallard’s range, and this hybridization is believed to be one of the main contributing factors to the decline of the Black Duck population (Conroy et al. 2002). Consequently, the management of Mallards plays a key role in the management of the Black Duck population.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
