My Indian Runner Ducks making Strange Sounds

[TinaandJohnny]

It's a male making his mating call The first few times my Runner drake did that I thought it was very strange too. But then I realized he's just fluffing his feathers and calling out to ladies. Totally normal It's just what runner drakes do. I wonder if only Runners have that mating call.

So yours have done the same thing and sounds the same? It is a relief that the other one is now starting to do it also. They seem caught off guard by it too. I left town for 2 days and so my boyfriend looked after them and said they didn’t do it once, when I got back, they did it for me. I have no lady ducks. I hatched these guys out myself so maybe they are trying to impress me?

 

[picklestheduck]

All my drakes make that noise when they are mating. I have 6 drakes, and only one of them is an Indian runner. They all ruffle their feathers and make the same noise in the video

 

[Lauraduck]

So yours have done the same thing and sounds the same? It is a relief that the other one is now starting to do it also. They seem caught off guard by it too. I left town for 2 days and so my boyfriend looked after them and said they didn’t do it once, when I got back, they did it for me. I have no lady ducks. I hatched these guys out myself so maybe they are trying to impress me?

So yours have done the same thing and sounds the same? It is a relief that the other one is now starting to do it also. They seem caught off guard by it too. I left town for 2 days and so my boyfriend looked after them and said they didn’t do it once, when I got back, they did it for me. I have no lady ducks. I hatched these guys out myself so maybe they are trying to impress me?

Yup! I've had runners for a couple of years, and when my drake matured the started doing that. Regularly lol!! Do you only have drakes? He must be courting you. It's how they woo the ladies. I promise it's totally normal. I think of it like their Yeeee-Hawww! Cowboy call hahaha

 

[Isadora]

All my drakes make that noise when they are mating. I have 6 drakes, and only one of them is an Indian runner. They all ruffle their feathers and make the same noise in the video

How interesting. I've had runners for 2 years and have had three different runner drakes and never heard them make that sound.

 

[Lauraduck]

How interesting. I've had runners for 2 years and have had three different runner drakes and never heard them make that sound.

Really? This is interesting indeed. I thought all drakes did that. My drake would make that sound when he was in the pool to call the ladies; or on land he would do that then run around them to round the up.

 

[TinaandJohnny]

Yup! I've had runners for a couple of years, and when my drake matured the started doing that. Regularly lol!! Do you only have drakes? He must be courting you. It's how they woo the ladies. I promise it's totally normal. I think of it like their Yeeee-Hawww! Cowboy call hahaha

That is very good to know! I’ve been stressing about it since the one started a while ago. And yes only these two boys, no females..yet. They are my little buddies that follow me around everywhere and tend to my garden with me. I’ve never had ducks before and this website has been so helpful. I’ve learned a lot and thank you for finding this post and replying!

 

[TinaandJohnny]

Thank you for posting the video -- very helpful

I have no experience of my ducks making a noise like that. However, I notice the movement accompanying the strange sound. Two of my pekin drakes make that movement and come out with a belching sound. One drake is 18 months old and one is more like 12 months old [He was rescued at the beginning of April and was a juvenile then].

When my first drake started making the sound, people on this thread suggested he was adjusting his crop. It got to the stage when I firmly beleived he just liked makign the noise [and he still does.] A second pekin starte a couple of months ago. not as often as the first but then a year ago the first was only doign it occasionally. my third pekin and my son's pekin drake do not make the noise and neither do my muscovy drakes. The females don't do it either.

As your boys are otherwise healthy and eating normally, I would suspect that for whatever reason they started adjusting their crop and then found they like the noise. Or maybe they just like adjusting their crop. Your boys' whistle may be because they are call ducks wherreas mine are pekins that belch!!

Certainly, while the ducks are healthy and eating normally, I would just wait and watch, I can't think of an intervention that would help

Thank you for posting a reply. I have read that also on this sight. They might just have different way of getting the ladies attention? If they were looking sick and not eating, they would be going straight to the vet. They’re running around normally and acting like boys!

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I have heard Drake's do this on occasion. For hunting they actually have the usual Drake "Calls" which sound like a raspy Drake, but you can also get a Drake "Whistle" which sounds exactly like the whistle your Drake is making.

 

[TinaandJohnny]

Really? This is interesting indeed. I thought all drakes did that. My drake would make that sound when he was in the pool to call the ladies; or on land he would do that then run around them to round the up.

Yeah I had literally no idea about any of it. I thought they were sick when they started with the raspy voices. Had nothing to compare it to because they were both males. Learned so much!

 

[TinaandJohnny]

I have heard Drake's do this on occasion. For hunting they actually have the usual Drake "Calls" which sound like a raspy Drake, but you can also get a Drake "Whistle" which sounds exactly like the whistle your Drake is making.

That makes sense! Different kinds make different noises? Makes me feel a lot better!