r/udub • u/Economy_Educator232 • 4d ago
Discussion What was with that duck at the quad yesterday, it was acting very unusual for a wild animal
Yesterday at the quad this duck was standing in the middle of a busy crowd alone, it was unusually calm and kept looking up at the sky and not anything around it. I can't be the only one to think something is wrong with it mentally or maybe it was suffering with heatstroke. Does anyone know what happened to this wild duck, or was it a pet, or is this actually just normal behavior from a very chill little guy?
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u/BBQ-enjoyer 4d ago
City ducks are used to people. They let you get pretty close up at Greenlake too. Certainly wasn’t hot enough for heat stroke. If anything, duck may have been slightly nervous + confused with how crowded campus got for the cherry blossoms (i also get nervous + confused when campus explodes in density of foot traffic)
I am not any form of “duck expert,” but spent some time on a family members farm with ducks when I was a kid, this behavior really seems fine to me
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u/ZattyDatty 4d ago
Agreed. The geese are still jerks, but the ducks are pretty domesticated between all the the people, and the absurd number of people who feed the ducks bread.
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u/PunkLaundryBear History & English Major 🤓📚 4d ago
Actually the geese on campus are absurdly chill in my experience. I will admit I've fed them once with my partner and they're aggressive to each other, but they generally aren't aggressive to humans.
Literally watched these 3 toddlers chase around and terrorize the geese (which was really infuriating - the parents did not gaf) and they were "smart" enough to know not to attack the kids.
Allegedly, other people I've talked to have seen people kick the geese and they didn't do anything :(
Geese are jerks, but so are people. Cannot imagine kicking an animal for fun. Eugh.
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u/ZattyDatty 3d ago
I was more referencing the Greenlake ones versus UW, but that’s good to hear. The GL ones will occasionally chase folks down, though the majority just hang around and poop everywhere.
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u/nardgarglingfuknuggt Major(s) 3d ago
I'm with you and can't fucking stand the geese slander in our society. I didn't even know it was a thing until it was revealed to me via forums such as this some time back. Because I just couldn't imagine how people could prescribe that much blame to any old animal. They are not personified and they are not morally capable of guilt in the way we are. We are in their world as much as they are in ours. Literally just let them vibe and they will extend the same to you.
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u/cbartholomew 4d ago
GEESE!?
Drop kick those mother effers.
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u/nardgarglingfuknuggt Major(s) 3d ago
Maybe the geese don't fuck with you because this is your openly expressed attitude towards them. Go outside more and interact with them without being a presumptious asshole for once and with a bit of time and patience they may show you the way.
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u/Trick-Reception-8194 4d ago
I've been on campus for about 2 years now, I could me mistaken but i believe this duck is part of a pair, her and a dude bud. That wander around you'll find them in all kinds of odd places and they are pretty friendly due to being fed by students and etc. I don't know where her green mallard dude friend is but I hope they find eachother.
They definitely display some odd behavior, I feed them from time to time, and they will literally fly up to me for food.
Sometimes they hang around the fountain but can literally show up anywhere even places you would really not expect to find them.
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u/woofinbear 4d ago
Omg I knew they were the same pair! I’ve seen them many times in the fountain, and the other day I saw them on the Ave 😂
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u/Kaitlynnc15 Student 4d ago
Heh. I think they were in the fountain around 1-1:30 today when I went by. Have to assume because it was one like this and the green one.
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u/ppettrrovv 2d ago
Yeah they come back every year and they're very tame. You'll likely see ducklings soon
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u/Trick-Reception-8194 2d ago
Perhaps, they always gave off the vibe that they were a millennial couple that was more interested in traveling than kids.
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u/ppettrrovv 2d ago
Aren't they they the ones that have ducklings in the fountain every year? Or is that a different pair?
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u/Trick-Reception-8194 2d ago
I’m not sure I can’t remember seeing baby ducks, I do see many baby geese though. I don’t go to drumheller that often.
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u/StupendousMalice 4d ago
That's a city duck, it doesn't give a fuck. There's a whole population that nest around here in the spring and they will act like this. You gotta be careful with propping doors open or they'll come inside just to chill in the shade.
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u/Ms_Ethereum 4d ago
“These assholes don’t know what’s coming. They gonna find out”
That’s what he was thinking
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u/Leftie_Wonderer 4d ago
Maybe she's waiting to meet up with her man who I saw eating with pigeons on the Ave~
(Would post picture if the comments would let me.)
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u/Cash_Money_Jo 3d ago
UW ducks are some of the most spoiled water fowl you will ever see. They get ramps built for them, food on demand, and a whole fountain exclusively to themselves. They aren’t afraid of human, they think we serve them.
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u/Economy_Educator232 4d ago
If you look at the end there the duck was looking at the sky a lot like it was seriously checked out from its surroundings. Was it suffering from heatstroke do you think?Or some mental issue? I really hope it is ok. Multiple people were literally 1ft away or less taking pictures and the duck completely ignored them. I really want to know if this guy is fine
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u/gorbolumox 3d ago
See this one as part of a pair pretty often. She might be looking up waiting for her partner since they sometimes go somewhere individually before the other shows up a few minutes later
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u/applejuicerules 4d ago
Spy from Oregon