Expert: Roger Lederer - 5/12/2011

Question
Wasn't sure if you answered questions about ducks or not but here goes...

We frequent a park that usually isn't very busy. There are ducks at this park that live in a very nice creek. One mallard is quite tame and has taken up with us when we visit. We usually bring him some treats like some greens and maybe a few berries.

Anyway he does these cute behaviors and I wonder what they mean ?? He picks at my jeans. Like he is picking stuff off of them. He also looks at me sideways and makes quiet quacking sounds....looks at me sideways...quiet quacking sounds... then he will shimmy his head and chest and rub his chest up against my jeans several times.

Is this some sort of sign of affection or what ? It's really cute/funny. I have never had a duck pick at my jeans or shimmy and then rub their chest on me.

Also the mallard seems to like me, my husband, and my daughter (11 years old)but doesn't like my son. If I am sitting ...when my son (4 years old) comes up to us the duck will put his head to the ground and waddle towards my son rather fast as if to run him off then turn around and come back to me, however, if I am standing up (in a more dominant position ?_) the duck will not run my son away. My son also feeds the duck but I am wondering why the duck does not prefer my son to come near me if I am sitting ?

The duck will also sit near me in the grass. It's really cute.


Any insights into this behavior ? Signs of affection ?

When we leave the duck goes back to the creek and joins right in with the other ducks.

Answer
When you find ducks interacting with humans at a city park, you find all kinds of strange behaviors. They are partly courtship, partly territoriality, partly submission, and partly aggression type behaviors. The different behaviors towards different people simply has to do with the first interaction with the person. For example, your son may have been threatening towards the duck the first time and now the duck is defensive.
So, that's a general explanation. I can't be more specific without knowing the initial interaction and the exact movements. Generally, though, domesticated wild ducks are just strange.