DucklingWatch calls for more rural sightings

BASC members can help build a clearer picture of mallard duckling survival by submitting sightings to the DucklingWatch project.

Nest monitoring supports mallard duckling survival

It may be a little chillier than last spring, but the wildfowl breeding season is well underway. Mallard are already nesting and early broods are already on the water. For those involved in BASC’s duck nest monitoring project, now is the time to check nest tubes and minimise disturbance around breeding areas.

Sophie Stafford, BASC scientific advisor, said: “It can be handy to keep notes of any observations on your phone or in a small notebook. Details such as hens sitting on nests, hatching or predation events are very useful. You can then refer back to these when submitting observations at the end of the breeding season in late summer.”

While BASC’s duck nest monitoring project focuses on nesting activity and hatching success, members are also well placed to support research into what happens after hatching.

DucklingWatch to the rescue

And this is where DucklingWatch project steps in. It focuses on recording mallard broods after hatching, tracking how many ducklings survive in the first few weeks of life. Participants are asked to note the number of ducklings in a brood, their approximate age and the location of the sighting. These simple records, especially when repeated over several days, help build a clearer picture of survival rates.

Sophie Stafford added: “Through BASC’s duck nest monitoring project, many of our members are already closely involved in supporting breeding mallard as part of their habitat management work. DucklingWatch offers a simple opportunity to extend that involvement by recording what happens after hatching. Duckling survival is a major knowledge gap in the UK. Those managing nest tubes, or observing naturally nesting mallard, are well placed to contribute.”

Understanding mallard breeding efforts

DucklingWatch is a citizen science project led by PhD researcher Hannah Coburn at the University of Essex. The project is also partially funded by BASC. It aims to monitor duckling survival across the UK to better understand breeding outcomes.

Last year, more than 950 broods were recorded across Britain. This provided crucial data on duckling survival, helping researchers build a clearer picture of mallard population dynamics. Initial results from 2025 suggest that fewer than one in four ducklings survive the first eight weeks of life. This is comparable to rates seen in other declining populations.

While this may help explain recent declines in the UK’s breeding mallard population, more data is needed to confirm whether this reflects a particularly poor year or a longer-term trend.

Hannah Coburn said: “This year, we are particularly keen to receive more records from rural locations to ensure our results are representative of the country as a whole. The shooting and land management community are well placed to help us achieve that.”

Repeated sightings strengthen mallard population research

Hannah also stressed that repeated observations are especially useful. Recording the same brood over multiple days helps build a clearer picture of survival rates, even if the number of ducklings does not change.

Records can be submitted online or via email. Each record should include the location, date, number of ducklings and their approximate age.

Images by: Hannah Coburn

Sophie Stafford

Sophie is one of BASC's scientific advisors. She has a BSc in Zoology with Conservation from Bangor University and conducted experimental research in Finland following this. She has a broad range of research interests including ecosystem ecology, drivers of migration, and behavioural evolution.