Mallard Population Analysis
Mallard has increased: up 46% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Mallard
The ancestor of most domestic ducks and the most abundant duck in the world, the Mallard dabbles in wetlands, parks and farm ponds everywhere.
- Size
- 19.5–25.5 in long, about 2.4 lb (50–65 cm, 1.1 kg)
- Habitat
- Lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes and sheltered coastal waters.
- Diet
- Seeds, aquatic plants and invertebrates, dabbled at the surface.
- Range
- Recorded on 3,087 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 49 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Anatidae · Waterfowl
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Notable Mallard TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →
No notable trend signals for Mallard. See the full index history below.
Mallard Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Mallard is projected to rise about 53% by 2030 — from 2.0 in 2025 to a central estimate of 3.1 (95% range 1.8–4.4). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±71%, with 0% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
Where the Mallard Is Detected
BBS routes recording Mallard, sized by most recent count.
Mallard Population Trend by State
Mallard Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
Mallard Conservation Status
Least Concern
The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it up about 46% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-08-14. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.