DON’T BUY YOUR CHILD A DUCK FOR EASTER

March 1, 2005
Contact: Tony Young (850) 488-7867

As the Easter holiday fast approaches, many parents contemplate the idea of purchasing cute little ducklings as gifts for their children. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) suggests buying your child the stuffed-animal variety instead.

“Although these mallard ducks might make nice pets while they are young, they can live for 10 years or more and quickly outgrow the ‘cute and fuzzy stage,’ leaving full-size droppings on your patio and outdoor furniture,” said Diane Eggeman, FWC waterfowl biologist. “When this happens, parents and children often grow tired of caring for these pets and decide to release them into the wild.”

What you may not realize is that this is illegal and is putting Florida’s native wildlife in jeopardy. Last July, the FWC passed a rule clarifying that it is unlawful to release captive-reared mallard ducks into the wild. This rule also requires a permit to buy or sell mallards in Florida.

One reason for this rule is that domesticated ducks, once released, are capable of transmitting diseases and compete with native wildlife for food and habitat. The more important reason is that releasing these mallards into the wild threatens the existence of the Florida mottled duck, a unique subspecies found only in peninsular Florida.

“These domesticated or feral mallards are crossbreeding with the mottled duck, producing hybrid offspring,” Eggeman said. “This is a serious concern and if not stopped, this hybridization could result in the Florida mottled duck becoming extinct.

Wild mallards are migratory birds, inhabiting Florida only during the winter months. In the spring they fly north to breed and are not present by the time the mottled duck mating season begins in Florida. On the other hand, pet mallards, once released, do not migrate and will become established, year-round residents of our state, and when they mate with wild mottled ducks, it nudges Florida’s mottled duck toward extinction.

The Florida mottled duck population is relatively small, with the breeding population estimated at only 30,000-40,000 and already FWC biologists are saying that perhaps as many as 12 percent of these ducks are showing genetic evidence of hybridization.

Today, the future of Florida’s mottled duck is uncertain, but the fate of the subspecies is in human hands. The solution begins with not buying children ducks for Easter and in educating others about the issues and consequences of the situation.

For more information on protecting Florida’s mottled duck, contact one of FWC’s waterfowl offices at (850) 488-5878 or (321) 726-2862, or visit MyFWC.com/duck.

TY/HGM

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