Drakes and hawk alerts-are they like roosters?

[sherrybintally]

I was reading yesterday that roosters will watch and give audible warnings when they spot a hawk so everybody can duck (no pun intended) for cover. Will drakes do this too?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I was reading yesterday that roosters will watch and give audible warnings when they spot a hawk so everybody can duck (no pun intended) for cover. Will drakes do this too?

Mine don't but I have roosters who do sound the alarm, also having Muscovies I doubt they'd be able to make much of a noise,

 

[Going Quackers]

Being mine are all 'scovies they couldn't hiss loud enough too. I think that is more of a goose or rooster thing actually.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

our domestic boys will quack if the dog barks an alert or one of the roosters growls their alert. Otherwise they are just enjoying their day normally.

 

[destinduck]

No they dont. The drakes and all the other ducks will do just the opposite and be quiet. If hawks fly over my covered pens too low they will fly in the pools. If they fly a little higher up my ducks will all cock their head be quiet and just look up at the threat, When they do that it is funny. In nature ducks are mostly in water so they will be looking up and all around for that matter. And will dive if the hawk swoops down too close.

 

[larkflying]

My ducks seem to be a bit odd about predators. They don't have normal instincts . . . it is a good thing they are not wild ducks. We've had a tiny hawk fly into the orchard, and ravens that have actually come up and perched in trees around the duck yard. The ducks did get still and quiet, but they moved in a mass and got as close as possible to the birds and then stared at them. If the bird switched trees, they would follow it. I told them that this was not a good survival method, but so far they seem to be like that if they see anything different.

The small hawk left after not finding anything (mostly because the roosters were going nuts and all the bantam chickens were in hiding), and the ravens were just after eggs and were firmly prevented from getting any by the geese. The ducks do respond to the rooster warning call though, and if it is a larger bird they will head to cover, or freeze and be still.

I love watching them stand with their head cocked to the side -- sometimes I look, and they are staring at an airplane that is so high I can barely see it . . .

 

[jdywntr]

I also have muscovy so, no alerts but my geese sound the alarm. They will do it when they see me coming out with feed bucket and scare everyone else in the process.

 

[sherrybintally]

Yes, my ducks can spot planes! I used to think it was cute how they cocked their heads to see birds in the air until a hawk got one of mine.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes, my ducks can spot planes! I used to think it was cute how they cocked their heads to see birds in the air until a hawk got one of mine.

 

[aoxa]

Hawk Watch 2011

Thankfully we don't get anything bigger than a crane pass overhead. Sometimes bald eagles, but now that we've moved, they run in the woods when the roosters signal. Ducks get quieter when things pass overhead lol.