Flock Announcing Duties - Who Fills The Role In Your Flock?

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

This is not a serious post, more a contemplative one. When we first got ducks, we had just 2, Daphne, my Rouen, and Margie, my Pekin. Daphne was the loud and obnoxious one. After Margie passed from an unknown illness, we got Daphne 2 Muscovy sisters. Daphne remained the loud and obnoxious one (obviously, the Muscovy girls are incapable of being loud!).

At some point I read that Mallard-derived flocks will generally appoint a single duck as the “flock announcer”, she who will let the world know when there is a predator, or, more accurately, announce to the predator that she is right there, ready to be eaten (while the Muscovy girls look on and trill amongst themselves that the flock announcer is “totally going to get eaten” and that at least it won’t be them!

So, it made sense that as my only Mallard-derived duck, Daphne would get the job. Fast -forward 3+ years, and I added two additional Rouens.

Daphne appears to have retired from the flock-announcing job, allowing the far younger and more alert and nimble Matilda to step up to the role.

I just wonder what goes into the decision, if there is one. They are birds, after all.

And do Muscovies have a similar, yet quieter, role within their flock?

Anyways, who takes on announcing duties in your flock?

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Mine take turns. One watches while the others eat and swim, then they pass off duties. The drakes are useless except for waving the corkscrew.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I'm going to have to watch to see who the announcer is between my runners.
I do have 1 that is always walking between or behind the other two with her head bobbing down. I'm not sure why. I've read flirting, but it's done in more of a submissive manner than a flirting manner.

 

[KaleIAm]

Oh that's very interesting.

I've always assumed that the shout quacking and predator observation duties went along with being "top duck."

My duck Pigweed was my loudest and most dominant duck from the time she was a baby. All the food was hers. But when she was about 6 months old it was like she and Clover realized that she wasn't actually the top duck and she just wanted all the food. So she passed the top duck duties to Clover and suddenly Pigweed stopped looking around for predators so much and Clover started. Clover also got to eat all the food and started shout quacking the loudest. Pigweed still shout quacked, and was 2nd most dominant. Clover was suddenly everyone's favorite duck to mate with, too. Interestingly, Clover often sweetly requested that the lowest duck in the social hierarchy mount her with lots of head bobs.

When Clover passed away from reproductive cancer Pigweed resumed her top duck duties, looking around for predators and shout quacking away. She was then the best duck to mate with.

These are just my observations of a small flock of 6 females of varying breeds over 6.5 years. It could all be a coincidence!

I'm also confident that the shout quacks are sometimes calling me. If they hear us talking inside our house they shout quack - and they have good hearing. They are very spoiled and like to go on supervised foraging walks, get put to bed on time, and be pampered.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Roosters. They are the best at announcing trouble. I believe the whole flock depends on them.

 

[Luv Ducks]

My big two Rouen Hens, Ivy and Tinkerbell both sound off if they see me or hear me getting in or out of my car. They are big and bold. I just recently added 7 Mallard hens to the mix and some of them are now quacking loudly too. The Muscovies are still peepers as they are only 5 weeks old and the drakes don't have much at all to say, lol.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

I have 2 Rouens and a pekin that are loud, I can’t say I have noticed one more than the others. Seems they are just in the mood or not. I often shout back, confirming I agree, whatever it was is a funny joke! my wife takes my duck conversations in stride, but visitors seem to find it quite unusual.

 

[KaleIAm]

I have 2 Rouens and a pekin that are loud, I can’t say I have noticed one more than the others. Seems they are just in the mood or not. I often shout back, confirming I agree, whatever it was is a funny joke! my wife takes my duck conversations in stride, but visitors seem to find it quite unusual.

I do the same. :-D And... yeah visitors think I've lost it. But they don't understand the conversations. I mean... it can go on and on.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I always talk to all of my Ducks. If the neighbors think I am all quacked up so be it, lol.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I've been observing to see. I have 2 announcers. My muscovy drake - when he sees me he's huffing and puffing. When out free ranging, he will seek me out. Though sometimes he's very annoying.
My other flock announcer is one of my new runners. I've decide to call her Lemon Drop. She tells the other runners that I'm in the area. She also is getting super brave and coming towards me when she thinks its treat time (right now its cherry tomatoes that she's looking for ).