Has your mallard flown away?

[JuicyFatHead]

Yes, I am hoping she comes back! The cayugas were obviously distressed and looking for her.. running as a group in different directions. She was like their little leader. I raised her from a couple days old with the caygugas. My neighbor found her and called me because she knew I had just gotten ducklings in.

We've had a hawk lurking around lately... so maybe she didn't feel safe? She flew away at dusk, with no apparent reason (other than I had just opened the front door). Maybe I spooked her? It was something else watching her loop around the house a couple times.

Sure hope she makes it.

 

[BoutrosBoutrosGalusGalus]

Our little mutt duck disappeared on us. Hes been flying a bit so we assume he flew off. The wild genes must have kicked in. He could have been eaten too but there are no signs of that around us at least. His head had just started turning very green so I imagine alot of hormones were percolating.

 

[yinepu]

we started out almost 7 years ago with 8 little hatchery mallards.. a few were killed by predators (they free range all the time).. but we still have a few left and their offspring.. none have ever tried to fly away.. they know where home is and apparently love it here!

they come when called and are so darn spoiled... however they will be leaving later this year (we are going with Muscovys and really don't need any mules)

 

[JuicyFatHead]

Aw! Too bad about your mutt duck!

He was beautiful! My little mallard didn't come back today. Sure will miss the little lady.

 

[desertdarlene]

Quote:
Was your duck definitely a boy? We have a female down at one of the lakes here in San Diego that looks exactly like your duck and even has a green head, but is definitely female. She's part Cayuga, I can tell, but had a green head and a little green on her back. But, I think the white is further down on her chest and not so much on her neck as the one in the photo.

 

[DuckLover2399]

Tia Z. :

I'm coming to terms (slowly) that my mallard drake is gone. Only thing is I don't see any sign of struggle. Is it normal for the male mallards to fly away? I should preface that by saying this duck was very attached to me and was more like a dog than a duck. It's been missing since this morning. Should I hold out any hope of its return or come to terms with the fact that I lost my favorite duck?

Yes he probably went off in search of a mate​

 

[lishah2000]

Mine have never flown more than across the property to get somewhere or across the pond. Usually only a few feet up and not often. If you watched them walking/running across the property you would think they couldn't fly. They are not really tame. Don't mind getting close for food and will follow me around, but are impossible to touch or catch.

I did lose two in a fairly short time. One was a female that was sitting on a nest the other a young female. I'm pretty sure it was a pair of fox we had been seeing. It's possible the young female flew off, but I really think it was the fox. The one sitting was one of my original three, the young female was one of her babies.

Wanted to add - there was no sign that something got either one. The nest wasn't disturbed, but the eggs were gone.

 

[milkweeds]

I wanted to tell you my experience. I started out with 10 mallards, two of them flew away and came back in a few hours. A week or so later the drake flew away again and has not been seen in 2 months. the girl that first flew away with him came back after a week. I am told the drake might fly back home in the spring....so I am watching .When the female came back she was obviously shaken, I suspect she couldn't find enough food or find suitable warmth as it was in dec with 0 temps. She has not left the yard since.
I will tell you if he returns,
jean in Idaho

 

[milkweeds]

Well...... I have 9 mallards . MY drake flew off with his female last dec 29th of 2016 and they both came home that night. Two weeks later he flew off again and has been gone for 2 months. His female I guess got lonesome for him and flew off and stayed for a week. Six days later as I was walking out to feed the remaining mallards I heard a quack and she was just landing in the yard.. She appeared to be very shaken up and just stood there without moving. It was a cold day so I suspect she had a hard time finding food and a place to get warm and perhaps left to find her sweetheart...... I coached her back in the barn and she has not left since. My birds have free range daily and not one of my 9 females ever fly more than 20 feet or so now. One would imagine she gave everyone the scoop of her adventures.....and they never fly more than 20 feet or so now.

The one that came back we call tonto, as she for some reason had a feather pulled out a bit on the side of her head.... so it sticks right out like an Indian with a head dress.....she seemed very glad to be home and when she finally saw the usual bowl of food she appeared weak and starving. I know the drake was somewhat followed around a bit by all the 9 females......perhaps he was over whelmed. I will come in and post as to whether he returns....but a missing drake doesn't mean his death....they often fly away to see the world and if by luck they live thro it...they often fly back home.
my girl did.....
jean in Idaho

 

[Goosewhisper]

Ok, having had a lot of experience with this situation- yes. Hand raised mallards will commonly “fly away”. Here are some examples- but first context- I live within site of a large body of water with numerous wild ducks. So one time raised 4 mallard ducklings that someone gave me…they were a week old and the person didn’t want them - so I hand raised all of them, good food, beautiful large pen / pool…etc. - free range in yard during day - in coop at night (once they were large enough not to need external heat / protection)…but after they reached maturity , one female would fly up on the roof and quack constantly…as if calling the others….eventually two of them literally flew away (I was outside and witnessed this). The other two just stayed…and to this day they free range in the yard (with my other domestic pet ducks) in the day, and walk into the coop at dusk to be locked in for the night. Why did two leave? And two stay? No idea, but since I actually saw this happen, I disagree with the post that says they ‘never fly away’…they can easily join an existing flock on the water and survive on instinct alone
or they could be happy and stay …I’ve seen both multiple times.