An inquiry for all you phenomenal nature knowledge people on this message board about mallard behavior.
My daughter has been watching a mother mallard and her ducklings in a pond in the area. She has been getting hectored pretty constantly by a bunch of frustrated drakes. This is evidently a known phenomenon: Wikipedia says "When [mallards] pair off with mating partners, often one or several drakes will end up 'left out.' This group will sometimes target an isolated female duck — chasing, pestering and pecking at her until she weakens (a phenomenon referred to by researchers as rape flight), at which point each male will take turns copulating with the female." Or maybe the female dies, leaving the ducklings vulnerable.
Not a fun process to watch. Anybody got any ideas?
My daughter has been watching a mother mallard and her ducklings in a pond in the area. She has been getting hectored pretty constantly by a bunch of frustrated drakes. This is evidently a known phenomenon: Wikipedia says "When [mallards] pair off with mating partners, often one or several drakes will end up 'left out.' This group will sometimes target an isolated female duck — chasing, pestering and pecking at her until she weakens (a phenomenon referred to by researchers as rape flight), at which point each male will take turns copulating with the female." Or maybe the female dies, leaving the ducklings vulnerable.
Not a fun process to watch. Anybody got any ideas?
