Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata)

The Definitive Guide to Duck Control and Where to Find a
Wildlife Control Professional!

Are you frustrated and tired of dealing with the Damage caused by WILDLIFE. This site deals with WILDLIFE DAMAGE and steps the "Do it yourselfer" can take to protecting your property from the damage caused by Wildlife in your area.

Don't want to do it yourself? No Problem, we have Wildlife Professionals to help you solve all your wildlife control needs.

Identification

The term waterfowl is properly applied only to ducks, geese, and swans. A bird identification guide should be consulted for exact species descriptions.

Damage by ducks and cranes to swathed or maturing small grain crops during the fall harvest is a serious localized problem in the northern Great Plains region. Damage occurs from direct consumption of grain and from trampling, which dislodges kernels from heads. Losses from trampling may be at least double the losses from consumption.

Range

In North America, most waterfowl are migratory, flying long distances in the spring and fall between the summer breeding grounds and wintering areas. Some species or geographic populations of some species, however, never leave the breeding areas. 

The primary North American breeding grounds for ducks are the prairie pot-hole region of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Montana, North and South Dakota, and Minnesota. Historically, this area probably produced more ducks than the rest of the continent combined. Other important breeding areas include coastal and interior Alaska, and the Mackenzie River Delta. Primary duck wintering grounds include the central valley of California, the southern Great Plains, Gulf Coast marshes, Caribbean Islands, and Central and South America. 

Many of the historical North American waterfowl breeding, migrating, and wintering areas are changing because of agricultural and land-clearing practices, northern prairie pothole drain-age, and development of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge system. Worldwide, waterfowl occur on every major land mass except Antarctica. 

Damage Caused by Ducks

Migrant waterfowl damage agricultural crops in northern and central North American. In the spring, waterfowl graze and trample crops such as soybeans, sunflowers, and cereal grains. In autumn, swathed grains are vulnerable to damage by ducks,

Mergansers, mallards, and black ducks cause problems at some aquaculture facilities by feeding on fish fry and fingerlings.

Control Methods

Waterfowl can be difficult to disperse once they become established on a pond or feeding site. Promptness and persistence are the keys to success when attempting to repel nuisance or depredating waterfowl. Frightening devices and repellents should be in place before the damage starts to prevent the birds from becoming acclimated to the site.