r/duck • u/Ok_Prune1853 • 1d ago

Can Ducks Kill During Mating? What Did I Just See?

Today, I was traumatized by something I saw near the river. I was out walking and enjoying the nice weather when I noticed three mallards in the water. One male mallard was on top of a female, and I assumed they were mating. Suddenly, another male attacked the one who was mating. The first male got off the female, and that's when I noticed she wasn't moving—she was dead.

To my horror, the first male then started pecking at her and tried to mount her again. After a while, both males left, but not before the second one attacked the first.

I'm deeply confused and disturbed. Did the female die during the mating? Or did the male realize she was dead and still try to mate with her afterward? Either possibility is incredibly upsetting.

11 Upvotes

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22

u/bogginman 1d ago

yes, and sort of (didn't understand she was dead or what death was). That's nature. And it's sad but there you are. We recently lost a mama muscovy and I was showing her inanimate body to the others so they could understand that she was gone. Most tapped and sniffed and looked confused but one big old male tried to get on her. It was her mate and I guess he just did not understand death.

18

u/No_Hat_3704 1d ago

Had two ducks and the drake was the sweetest one I’d ever seen. Took great care of the hen, barely mated with her. When she died, he came out and just looked at her. He came over and watched as we buried her, and that spot became his favorite place to sit on. He was depressed until we got another hen(day later). Even then, I don’t think I saw them mate once (drove her crazy lol) and he spent lots of time at the first one’s grave.

Obviously I’m projecting human emotion onto a duck and I know it’s not that deep, but I really do wonder what was going on in his little head sometimes.

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u/bogginman 13h ago

you are not projecting us on them, ducks are much more emotive in the same way as humans are than we give them credit for. Prolly just cause we don't speak duck. But if we did, we'd realize how emotionally connected they can get and how lost they become when one is taken. We had a male mallard that lost his mate to a hawk and he mourned for weeks walking back and forth on the deck railing and swimming in the little pond where they swam together calling out for her. He knew she wasn't there but he just could not understand that she was gone for good and never coming back. He eventually remated and became happy again but it took months.

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u/Manospondylus_gigas wap wap 1d ago

I'm sorry you lost a duck :( When Mephisto died and we showed her to the others Esmond tried to wake her up by nudging her, it was very sad

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u/bogginman 13h ago

that was what her two sons were doing, tapping and nudging, like 'get up, mom!'

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u/VegetableBusiness897 1d ago

Happens all the time. Ducks hatch with a high drake to hen ratio. Ducks like to pair up. Hens have a very convoluted vagina, which they can use to shift another(non mate)drake penis into an area to prevent fertilization. So that drake would be struggling for a time to breed her, usually holding onto the back of her neck. Then if there are other drakes around trying to breed her or her own mate trying to fight the other drakes, they can easily drown her.

9

u/New-Impress-611 1d ago

It’s typical/common for females to drown while being gang raped by the males.

9

u/Moldy_slug 1d ago

Unfortunately, either option is possible.

Drakes have been recorded mating with already-dead ducks. They're also often very aggressive in mating and will attempt whether or not the female wants it, which can lead to injury or death.

2

u/bogginman 1d ago

dead males too, I've heard...

3

u/munificentmike 1d ago

Yes they can. They can over sex them. Drown them and hurt them. One reason why for every drake there needs to be at least 5 females. However, it looks horrible yet it is naturally difficult to watch. Yet usually the females are fine. If they bob their heads it means they are flirting with the male. If in the water they lay their head down flat it means they are welcoming the male to mate. Yet it’s still hard to watch, so I just don’t anymore.

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u/megs1784 1d ago

My favorite drake ended up in duck jail for each mating season because he was a murderous bastard. The ONLY year I didn't have ladies he ripped out his (male) buddy's throat trying to satisfy his animal urges.

He was still the cuddles baby and I will miss him eternally.