Catching ducks

[Quacking Pigeon]

@DuckLover47,

Maybe these ducks are not wild. They could have been released.

From doing some reading I believe they were originally introduced for sport like foxes and rabbits, which hasn’t went well on the native wildlife. And the ducks both come from British mallards and American Mallards. Also, I’ve had a mallard escape so they would also be mixed with domestic escapees.

You'd know if they were released. They'd wouldn't be able to fly, you'd be able to catch them, and they wouldn't seem feral if they were domesticated.

I haven't seen these birds, but chances are that they belong where they're at.

Domestic mallards would be able to fly, unlike pekin ducks that are often dumped at parks that cannot fly.

And they are introduced so they do not belong here. The Mallard/Northern Mallard is native to the Northern Hemisphere, Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere. Birds do not migrate here, and our population are basically just sitting ducks.

Also, this is a mallard:

A wild Mallard drake not from Australia

A wild Mallard Duck also not from Australia.

One of my domestic Mallard drakes

Wild mallards do have quite a bit of natural variation depending on where they’re found and such. In some places mallards are lighter which can be noticeably seen on the duck, and in other places they are darker. Also, birds with mutations do occur in wild birds such as bibbed mallards.

Domestic mallards also have these variations, but it is more so in the birds type (how it stands, shape etc). Exhibition birds are often selectively bred for certain traits such as a pale grey in the flanks and underbelly in natural/normal coloured drakes, and to be horizontal (which my birds lack although I have brought birds from reputable exhibitors).

I am hoping if I am allowed to catch feral mallards, I could bring new blood into the gene pool and eventually fix the type and get a better colour. Although, depending on how many I may be able to possibly catch I will probably just keep a seperate bloodline with the ferals to see the progress between both the domestics and ferals. Because the ferals are derived from wild mallards brought over to Australia, they will not be very tame. So another thing I will be selectively breeding for is friendliness. As the birds need to be calm to be assessed at shows by a judge. I may be able to handle the birds as duckling a lot to achieve this behaviour.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

Actually, unless their wings have been clipped domestic Mallards can fly just as well as Wild ones. If they are domestic their back toe should already be clipped off to differentiate them from wild ones.You wouldn't be able to catch my Domestic Mallards that's for sure.

Do they clip the back toes for domestic mallards where you are? We don’t do that here, but I do know in some states they are required to be pinioned.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

Some information saying that mallards are indeed an introduced/invasive species with sources.

“Mallard
An introduced species and is not protected anywhere in Australia.” https://ssaa.org.au/stories/hunting-know-your-birds.html

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2015Q00266/Html/Text

https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/32b56455-75bb-4194-a38c-8830686c48d2/files/birds-06.pdf

 

[Isaac 0]

Do they clip the back toes for domestic mallards where you are? We don’t do that here, but I do know in some states they are required to be pinioned.

Didn't know if they did that in Australia. Yes, hatcheries here in the US are required to clip the back toe off.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

Didn't know if they did that in Australia. Yes, hatcheries here in the US are required to clip the back toe off.

Well I learned something new. I suppose because they’re not native it’s not required here.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

I’ve found it. I can legally catch Mallards according to this.

https://sielearning.tafensw.edu.au/MPR/7410/lo/5326/documents/5326_read6_legislation.pdf

And ‘gaol’ is our strange way of spelling ‘jail’. To be honest I spell it ‘jail’.

I question what procedures would have to be taken place to trap birds in public places like parks and such. I assume if you were to treat the Mallards like dumped domestics, you could just go and pick up the birds with no problems. But I’ll check with the rules on that.

 

[TomCahalan]

Your council never answered you because they did not know the answer. They don't care what you do, but they don't want to be responsible for giving you the go ahead. Go grab some birds when no one is looking and the council will not mind.

 

[johntfs]

No. It’s a public park not a national park so I think that there are no rangers. So, I think I’d have to get in contact with the local council about it. But I never got an email back in 2018.

Like TomCahalan noted, figure they don't knare (don't know and don't care). Still, do they not have a phone number? While mallards aren't protected in Australia, you want to just make sure you're not breaking some local municipal code/policy or something.