2024 game duck abundance survey results

The 2024 Abundance estimates for game ducks in Victoria report is now available, showing an estimated four million game ducks in Victoria.

The 2024 Abundance estimates for game ducks in Victoria report is now available, showing an estimated four million game ducks in Victoria.

The game duck abundance survey was conducted from 14 November to 5 December 2024, with experienced wildlife biologists recording the presence and number of game ducks at 883 randomly selected waterbodies throughout Victoria.

Surface water estimates from satellite imagery were used in combination with duck counts from the sampled waterbodies to predict duck abundance across unsampled waterbodies.

Australian Wood Duck was the most numerous game duck species, with the abundance report estimating 1.4 million in Victoria during the survey period. The abundance report also estimated 820,000 Pacific Black Duck, 800,000 Chestnut Teal and 690,000 Grey Teal.

The 2024 estimated total game duck abundance is lower than the 2023 estimate but higher than the abundances recorded in 2022 and 2021. According to the Abundance estimates for game ducks in Victoria report, prepared by the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, the decrease in Victoria’s game duck abundance was most likely due to dryer conditions and a reduction in surface water.

The annual game duck abundance survey is part of a monitoring program that aims to improve our understanding of waterfowl ecology, providing important information on the status of Victoria’s game duck populations. It is the largest and most comprehensive survey of game ducks undertaken in Australia.

The data collected is used to inform adaptive harvest management (AHM) to set sustainable duck season arrangements.