Few data exist on lead in waterfowl within New South Wales, Australia, despite global concern about lead poisoning in this group of birds. The gizzards and livers from 716 ducks (seven species) were collected from six sites within New South Wales during the 1992 duck shooting season. Six birds had ingested shot in their gizzards (<1%); four waterfowl had high concentrations of lead in their livers (>6 mg kg(-1) wet-weight (ww)) and a further three had elevated concentrations of lead in their livers (>2 mg kg(-1) ww). Mean lead concentrations in the livers of birds were low (range 0.11-0.28 mg kg(-1) ww; among six sites). Lead concentrations in livers of the herbivorous maned duck Chenonetta jubata were generally lower than in other omnivorous or carnivorous species. Low lead concentrations in tissues reflected low hunting pressure at all sites (0-0.27 hunters ha(-1) year(-1)).