Rescued very young duckling!

[Canadian Wind]

Could you say what about it doesn’t look like a mallard?

See my edit on my original post, lol! You must have posted this just as I did the edit.

 

[EEforMe]

That explains a lot. Could it be a Pacific Black duck, then? It is a close relative of the mallard. It could even be a cross between the two.

A good water container for young ducks is a short, wide plastic food container with holes big enough for his head, but not his body cut out of the top.

Pacific black duck:

Mallard:

Our duck:

What do we think guys?

 

[EEforMe]

See my edit on my original post, lol! You must have posted this just as I did the edit.

Omg lol yeah just saw it

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Pacific black duck:
View attachment 3363865
Mallard:
View attachment 3363864
Our duck:
View attachment 3363866

What do we think guys?

I think it is either a Pacific Black duck or a hybrid between the two. I say that because of the way the black stripe across the face forms circles around the eyes.

 

[gimmie birdies]

It will need heat! I see you are giving him heat, most people just put them in a bathtub with water. (I don't let babies swim for a couple weeks)

 

[nuthatched]

Op, are you allowed to raise wild waterfowl? Here in the US, they're protected and most cases and need tp be turned over to wildlife services.

 

[MGG]

Hmmm I just googled it and you might be right. The OP said it might be a wood duck and mallards have I stripe along their eye while wood ducks have the stripe and a ring around their eye. This duckling seems to have the ring. But it seems like the stripe doesn’t go all the way to the bill on wood ducks but on this duckling it does

It looks like a Rouen to me.
Definitely not a wood duck.


@Hugotheduck , make sure the heat lamp is left on all the time. It should be about 85°F under the heat lamp. He looks like he's only a day or two old. Does anyone around you have poultry? He may have escaped or something. Doesn't look like any wild duck breeds, even for Australia. And I wouldn't give the treats, only give chick starter/waterfowl starter. The treats take away from the nutrition they need in the feed.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Thank you so much that helps that I know I’m dooing everything right! Can you get the brewers yeast from any old food grocery shop or is it from the pet shop? He’s sitting on my chest sleeping as I wright this haha here is the only good picture I have of him at the moment

Im not convinced this is a wild duckling.
Nutritional yeast might be easier to find than brewers, nutritional yeast is in most grocery stores, or online.
1tbsp to 1 cup of chick crumb

 

[Miss Lydia]

No way do you want to put this duckling in water and leave it it will chill and die. Even wild ducks/ducklings aren't in water continually. Any way you can get a reptile bulb [heat bulb]instead of white light that way it can sleep.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

That is a stunning little duckling, and I agree it doesn't look like a mallard but maybe they are different down under?

edit: Okay, I may be wrong, just the markings seem so much darker than what I'm used to seeing. Maybe I'm just old.

@Muscovy Wunda What do you know of ducks in Australia?

No mallards around here so no help on that, they are an introduced species so they aren't everywhere so would depend on location. But we have so many other native breeds of duck it could possibly be, they all come out stripey https://www.ozanimals.com/wildlife/Bird/Ducks.html . Now I do know from living right next door to the marshes (wet lands) that WIRES may frown upon someone hand rearing a native duckling and unfortunately am going to suggest contacting them to check out. They may ask you to surrender or they may help you set up everything you need to raise it depending on state, breed of duckling etc.