Expert: Roger Lederer - 5/8/2006

Question
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Followup To

I did not receive your original answer.  Since emailing you my first question, the following has happened.  Because the ducks were sitting about two or three feet away from the egg, a blue jay flew up to it and hopped around it.  The ducks still just sat there.  Then the blue jay went up to the egg and pecked at it.  Finally the ducks walked closer, quacked, the blue jay flew away, then the ducks flew away.  The egg was not cracked and three days later, the ducks did not return.  Can you explain this behavior?
Linda Hurley  

Answer
With domestic or domesticated ducks, you find all kinds of strange behavior. This doesn't happen in natural circumstances. Whenever ducks or geese or chickens or parrots or whatever are kept or are around unnatural conditions they act unnaturally, so there is no particular explanation for this. I am sorry you did not receive my original answer - don't know how that happened. For more infomation on wild birds, see www.ornithology.com. Roger Lederer