duck behavior, bobbing heads?

[wendy]

i would love to capture this on video. but i have 3 drakes 5 females and one duck will start bobbing there head and then more follow.
why do they do this? you know how people bob there head to music. this is what the ducks do. is this normal behavior for ducks? i just had to ask and am curious. could not find the answer in the 2 books we have and i looked online at 1 website about different breeds of ducks.
i told my husband i would love to video tape it and put it to music with our computer software

wendy

 

[cluckers&quackers]

Some of mine do that also!!! But I am not sure what the meaning of it is...it sure looks cute though!!

 

[birdnutz]

What I've decided is, the ducks do it for threat and the drakes for mating. At least from watching them thats what I've decided. Maybe somebody with a definate answer will know for sure.

 

[lilchick]

They will do it when scared and even when hungry.. Seems they are talking amongst themselves and I wonder if they are talking about us!
I have muscovy hens that "talk" to the male and he then comes up to me begging for food.
I am sure those hens told him to

 

[silverfilly]

my Pekin does this when she sees me coming with the food or when Im opening the gate to let them out, she lives withy chickens so I dont know how this would be reacted with other ducks but to me its her "im excited" talk but i dont know for sure

 

[Goat_Walker]

My female buff orp does that when I put new water in their pool, lol. Depending on whether she is happy or stressed she does different quakes, lol

 

[wendy]

Quote:
that is cute

the hens put a bug in the ducks ear

 

[linebacker]

I know exactly what your talking about. Its always the basically the same movement, but I see slight variations depending on if they're happy, hungry, or alarmed. This weekend one of my Delaware Hens got into a spat with my Appleyard Susie (it lasted all of 5 seconds) I thought the susie was having a seizure of some kind at first. But I realized she was just highly po'ed. My ducks are spastic anyway one day they're the thugs of the barnyard the next day they're scared of a leaf blowing past them.
Brad

 

[ozark hen]

My ducks do this ..as a greeting, as a warning, for mating...it is a communication between the ducks. When they raise their head feathers (now I am talking about muscovies here)it is a warning..either to the flock or to each other. Just one of their ways to communicate. They greet me each morning with the whispery "ha ha ha" and the head bobbing.

 

[Harley's girl]

My peking hen does that when her and the drake are in the water, then they mate. I figured it has something to do with that. Like how roosters drag their wing to a hen, hen ducks I guess, display to drakes? All I know is it is funny watch! LOL