Duck behavior question

[gottsegnet]

We have three Indian runner ducks and when they get excited, they walk around bobbing their heads up and down and to one side. What does this mean? So far as I know, they are all female.

 

[pringle]

My female pekin does that all the time too.I think it means there just exited or somthing but im not to sure.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

I think it's a form of flirting, the head bobbing. I know my two do that when they are swimming together.

 

[katharinad]

Up and down is a duck form of foreplay, but this one is not done to the side.

Up and down to the side is a dominance thing. I see mine doing that when one it trying to tell the rest where to go or what to do. They also do that when they get exited, but again one is telling the others what to do.

 

[Parrotchick]

I think they do that when they're flirting and also to let the other girls know that SHE'S interested in the drake and they better keep their feathered butts away.

When I only had a trio of two drakes and a hen (they were total gentlemen with her and NEVER roughed her up) I didn't see much of that behavior. But when I got a bunch more females, it was on. Never a "cat fight" between them though. It's so cute when they flirt.

 

[gottsegnet]

Interesting. Now I'm curious who they're flirting with if that's what they're doing. The goose? All six of them hang together most of the time, but the geese pretty much ignore the tag-a-long ducks (I have 3 female ducks, a female goose and two ganders).

They seem to always do it when walking in a straight line. They look like they're playing follow the leader to me.

Thanks for the feedback. I love watching them, but there isn't a lot of information about behavior and I love figuring out what it is they're actually doing. I can't wait until I have some drakes to see how they all interact.

Assuming they haven't fallen for the extra gander. That could be interesting.

 

[Sumatra503]

My two girls do that when they see me. They get super excited and just start bobbing away. Sometimes they just do this when they get excited.

 

[priss]

I think (although I don't know much lol) that when my ducks are experiencing extreme emotions, they kinda move the same. So head bobbing with my three girls means they are really really excited. It can mean good excited, yaaay here comes mom to let us out the hut in the morning, or bad excited, noooo here comes dad and he's gonna snoogle us when we are busy diggin worms. It can also mean they are gettin flirty especially if they are round water but then one of them usually flattens herself out so it becomes quickly clear that they are flirtin! They are all girls and they jus up and flirt with each other. They will climb up on top of each other and go through the motions. (we are gettin a boy duck on loan for a few months over Christmas for them lol)
Tail wagglin either means they are pleased with themselves cos they jus ate somethin tasty, or embarrassed cos they jus fell over sideways into the pool.
lol, so I kinda gotta take in the entire situation when I see them doin somethin cos it sorta can mean good and bad in my house! Their quacks differ though, they cuss up my husband something good, that's how I know it is ticked off bobbing not happy bobbing for him lol!
Sometimes they do it to priss, like they are keeping each other and me in line. Could they be doing this? Do they go into a little trio and wakwakwakwak and bob head to head? Like they are having a little angry meeting? That appears to be prissin and making a check of everythin!
Hope this is some help of how I translate their body language lol!

 

[Parrotchick]

My ducks have many conferences throughout the day. They usually find it necessary to discuss events when they perceive a bit of drama, such as the neighbors walking their dog or a chicken on the wrong side of the fence or a turkey eating the food in their pen. Of course sometimes they just seem to create their own drama out of nowhere which then feeds upon itself for a few minutes, until it's determined that there was much ado about nothing. Ms. Prissy, a Crested Pekin, is the self-designated spokes-duck and she'll tell on anyone. My new Embden goose is giving Ms. Prissy a run for her money in competiton to be the avian communications director. They both have the volume thing down pat, but I'm still new to goose-speak.

Inquiring Ducksters want to know...

Getting ready for a meeting at the water cooler

It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's a falling leaf...an event that might warrant discussion

Ms. Prissy asserts her authority and lets her opinions be known at a young age

 

[Hattiegun]