Ducks and mud puddles

[Shura]

So I searched on the net about it but didn't see to find an answer. What is it with ducks and mud puddles. It's raining pretty hard here, and our 2 Cayuga's are running around rooting in mud puddles all super happy. They have done it before, where they would rather play in the mud puddle made by overflowed kiddie pool than in the pool itself. Why do they do that? And is it normal, or do I have insane ducks?

 

[DucksAreBest]

Our ducks love to get a bill full of water, empty in the ground, root around, and repeat the process in order to create personal mud puddles.

This thread is from 2009.

 

[priss]

Mine like to get a snoot fulla water and spit it onto the mud to create their own mud puddles. I can't tell you the last time Doogie actually had any white feathers, hub gave him a scrub yesterday and yet sure enough this mornin he was disgustin again.

 

[rainplace]

Here we go:

The group of waterfowl know as the dabbling ducks includes 10 species that commonly occur in Canada...<snipped>...This group of birds feed at or near the surface by filtering food items such as invertebrates, seeds and other plant materials from the water. This feeding behaviour is referred to as "dabbling" and dabbling ducks can frequently be seen 'tipping-up', or tipping up-side down, in the water to reach food at the bottom of a pond. All dabbling ducks have bills that are specially designed to remove food particles from the water using plates aligned along the edge of their bill, much like the baleen of whales.

Found here:
http://www.sfu.ca/biology/wildberg/species/dabbducks.html

 

[SkyeT]

Our ducks love to get a bill full of water, empty in the ground, root around, and repeat the process in order to create personal mud puddles.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Quote:
Isn't that redundant?

 

[DuckLady]

It is more fun to play in the mud.
There is often no reason for why ducks do what they do.

Duck just are.

 

[Black Feather]

I think it's because you can find goodies to eat in the mud.....a nice clean pool just doesn't cut it.

 

[classroomducks]

More fun to make mom clean the water?

 

[protodon]

Yeah I also think it is because there is stuff to eat in the mud. I have holes all over my yard because of my rooting ducks.