Ducks - Birds - Pictures

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Ducks - Birds - Breeding Behavior

Reproduction in ducks differs from one species to another. Some ducks are considered monogamous, while others are likely to form new pairs each year. Whistling ducks are mostly monogamous. Males and females have strong bonds and rear the young together. Their relationships can last for a lifetime. Polygamous ducks find a new partner each breeding season. Usually, the breeding season starts in August. Ducks get involved in courtship, which is very spectacular. Preening, various movements, bobbing, and changes in feeding behavior suggest that ducks have entered the breeding season.

The role of a male duck in a pair is to protect the female from the rivals and make sure intruders are kept away from his territory. The female will find suitable nest and lay the eggs. It has been established that females may mate with more than one male during the breeding season. Despite all the efforts of a male to defend the female from other males, females allow other males to approach them.

As a rule, ducks that do not form strong bonds depart after the period of incubation. Therefore, a female has to protect the clutch of eggs on her own. In fact, this is a difficult task since snakes, foxes, and other predators prey on duck eggs.

The process of imprinting works during the first minutes of the ducklings' life. The young learn to communicate by low calls. They are still very dependent on their mother for food and protection from predators. Usually, the young will leave their mother after they have learned to fly. However, parental care may differ from one species to another. In some ducks, for example, it lasts for a few weeks and is long after the ducklings are capable of flying.

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