Sneeze whistle

[Snipes]

My ducks have always sneeze, at one time or another. I am not worried, since I think it is just an occassionally clogged nostril and there are no signs that they are sick (poo, lack of appetite, discharge, lethargy, etc). Also, they tend to do it either when they are in water, or have been nosing around in a particularly dusty corner. I was curious about the sound though, since it is really kind of like an ACHOO! A whistle followed by a farting sound or something. Is it a normal sound?
A short video can be found here
http://s871.photobucket.com/albums/ab272/Ambly/Mallards/?action=view&current=TethysSneeze.mp4

 

[toadbriar]

"PEEP!-grung!"

I know this sound. My drakes make it when they've, uh, done the deed and are ready for a cigarette.. so to speak.. That's the ONLY time they do it.

Maybe it was a REALLY GOOD sneeze??

 

[duckyfromoz]

Yup...Mine do that too... There is often a little " lap of victory " run around the outside of the pool. I do sometimes here it when they havent been mating- but it usually associated with it in some way. I have seen a boy do it- when his brother rather than himself was the victor...

 

[desertdarlene]

That's a breeding display, I'm sure. I see wild mallards do it when they meet a bunch of males all at once. They will all get in a circle and do that kind of bob and whistle, like the one in that video, at the same time. I think it's to size everyone up and make sure everyone knows their social status (and to impress the girls). I haven't seen them do it after mating, just when they all get together all at once and there's females around.

 

[gofasterstripe]

Quote:

My 2 drakes are the best of buddies. They both do the lap of Victory when 1 or the other gets a bit anlong with the whistle and the head thingy. They are such goons

 

[newchickmom09]

Quote:
LOL
Yep I agree. Totally normal.

 

[Snipes]

Hahaha, that's great, so should I try to imitate it and make it the loudest, most impressive sneezominance display?

Now it makes sense that the two more aggro ones do it the most, and my little lap ducky hardly ever does it at all.

 

[desertdarlene]

This has got me curious and I went and did some research. I guess it's called the grunt-whistle display and it is a courtship behavior mostly to impress the females. The males will sometimes flick water in her direction, too. I guess whomever makes the best impression on the gal gets have her as a mate. I also read that females will also try to get the males to fight so they can see who is the most fit.

ETA: Maybe they get all in a circle so that they can try to out-do each other's displays. Ha ha.