duck behavior, bobbing heads?

[Blacksmithchic]

I have five Indian Runners, two Cayugas, and a Blue Swedish, and the Runners always bob their heads at each other when they're in the pool...as far as I know, they are all female. Age doesn't seem to be a factor; my Swedish and one of my Runners are two years old, the rest of them are three months old, and all of the Runners bob their heads in the pool - and only in the pool, nowhere else. Two of them even "mock mated" with other females - I know it wasn't male-on-female because the "mounter" is currently laying eggs. Who knows what the head bobbing is about...maybe it's a dominance thing.

 

[Amiga]

I have five Indian Runners, two Cayugas, and a Blue Swedish, and the Runners always bob their heads at each other when they're in the pool...as far as I know, they are all female. Age doesn't seem to be a factor; my Swedish and one of my Runners are two years old, the rest of them are three months old, and all of the Runners bob their heads in the pool - and only in the pool, nowhere else. Two of them even "mock mated" with other females - I know it wasn't male-on-female because the "mounter" is currently laying eggs. Who knows what the head bobbing is about...maybe it's a dominance thing.

They are having a good time.

My runners do this. They like fooling around in the water. I don't think it's dominance, I think it's for fun.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

X2 on the fun. My egg laying rouens do this all the time. With each other in the water (and they switch off who is on top for the dirty duck dance). They also bob heads at my wife and I and make clucky sounds when we enter the yard.

 

[pollizichickens]

I have 26 Muscovy ducks, I have often wondered why they bob their heads, I have been told they do that to communicate. It's like, hi......how ya doing? When my oldest male raises his feathers on his head, to me its a sign of I'm not sure of you or what you are doing, a form of caution and disapproval.

In the evenings my husband and I sit outside and watch the chickens and ducks, they are cool to watch and entertaining, I know what some of you are thinking........."we need to get a life", it's a form of therapy for me.

By the by, if anyone is interested in taking some of these ducks off of my hands, feel free to contact me at [email protected]. I live in Choctaw, OK.

 

[Mr Lid]

We have 3 cayugas that do this, it's funny to watch. I've always wondered what they're saying. They do it and come waddling over to me me everytime I go in the yard.

 

[Oscarsgravett]

The ducks we have had only bobbed their heads just before they mate and our drakes did
It more than the ducks so I always thought it was used to impress each other before mating.

 

[deedee28]

My female Aylesbury does this every time I put music on, I don't play it loud but like it on in the kitchen, when I turn it off she stops lol

 

[Duck Drover]

This is courtship behavior. Head bobbing means they like each other.

 

[HennyPenny2]

My two females (a buff, who does the most head bobbing, and a Cayuga) always bob their head up and down since like 2 weeks old. They seem to do it a lot when they are happy and excited, like when I come bring them food or fill up their pool or let them out, or when they see I have treats (sometimes just when they see me coming to see them and I have no treats) they very often do it and start talkin to each other. It's so cute.

 

[Amiga]

My female Aylesbury does this every time I put music on, I don't play it loud but like it on in the kitchen, when I turn it off she stops lol

@deedee28

I believe Scovy Mama had a Muscovy girl who used to dance to music with head-bobbing.

They do bob heads to indicate attraction, but I suspect some of them just enjoy music.