How to Understand Duck Behavior

* Head:

* Held high: Alert, confident

* Held low: Submissive, fearful

* Tilted to one side: Curious, interested

* Eyes:

* Wide open: Alert, attentive

* Narrowed: Relaxed, comfortable

* Closed: Sleeping, resting

* Bill:

* Open: Talking, eating, drinking

* Closed: Silent, thinking

* Pointed up: Aggressive, threatening

* Pointed down: Submissive, fearful

* Wings:

* Flapping: Flying, excited

* Folded: Resting, relaxed

* Held out: Stretching, sunning themselves

* Tail:

* Held high: Alert, confident

* Held low: Submissive, fearful

* Wagging: Excited, happy

* Flicking: Nervous, anxious

Sounds

* Quack:

* General purpose communication

* Can vary in pitch and tone to express different meanings

* Honk:

* Alarm call

* Used to warn of danger

* Squeal:

* Distress call

* Used when in pain or danger

* Hiss:

* Aggressive call

* Used to threaten or scare away predators

* Coo:

* Soft, gentle call

* Used to communicate with mates or offspring

Behavior

* Preening:

* Ducks spend a lot of time preening their feathers

* This helps to keep them clean and waterproof

* Bathing:

* Ducks love to bathe

* They will often swim in puddles, ponds, or lakes

* Eating:

* Ducks are omnivores and will eat a variety of things

* Their diet includes plants, insects, and small fish

* Sleeping:

* Ducks sleep at night

* They will often sleep in a group, huddled together for warmth

* Flying:

* Ducks are strong flyers

* They can fly long distances and reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour

Social Structure

* Ducks are social animals and live in flocks

* The flock is led by a dominant male, called a drake

* The females, called hens, follow the drake and care for the young

* Ducks are very loyal to their flock and will defend it from predators

Reproduction

* Ducks breed in the spring

* The male will court the female by swimming around her and displaying his feathers

* If the female is interested, she will mate with the male

* The female will lay her eggs in a nest that she has built

* The male will help to incubate the eggs and care for the young

Migration

* Many species of ducks migrate south for the winter

* They fly in large flocks, called skeins

* Ducks migrate in order to find warmer weather and more food