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Aug 17, 2022 · Learn what a male duck is called, how to tell if a duckling is a drake, and why male ducks are good for meat production. Find out the differences between drakes and hens, and how to distinguish them by plumage, bill, size, feathers, quack, and behavior.
May 23, 2024 · Distinguish between a male and female duck by checking the color of their feathers—male ducks are generally more colorful. Take a close look at the duck’s bill and tail feathers. Female ducks often have speckled bills, and male ducks often have a curled tail feather.
Male Mandarin duck. The overall body plan of ducks is elongated and broad, and they are also relatively long-necked, albeit not as long-necked as the geese and swans. The body shape of diving ducks varies somewhat from this in being more rounded.
An American black duck (upper left) and a male mallard (lower right) in eclipse plumage. The mallard was one of the many bird species originally described in the 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae by Carl Linnaeus. He gave it two binomial names: Anas platyrhynchos and Anas boschas.
- Appearance. Ducks are sexually dimorphic, which means that the males and females have distinct characteristics. Male ducks, commonly known as drakes, often stand out with their vibrant plumages.
- Size. When observing ducks, their size can often hint at their gender. Depending on the breed, they usually weigh between 1.6 and 3.5 pounds, but males tend to grow a bit bigger, with some weighing up to 15 pounds.
- Behavior. When it comes to behavior, male and female ducks are also quite distinct from each other. Drakes tend to get more aggressive in certain seasons, particularly during the breeding season.
- Vent Sexing. Vent sexing, often simply called vent checking, is a reliable method used to determine the gender of ducks, especially when other physical characteristics aren’t distinct.
Learn about the characteristics, behavior, habitats and life span of ducks, a type of waterfowl. Find out how to identify male and female ducks by their colorful feathers, beaks and mating rituals.
Learn about the male mallard duck, also called a drake, and its distinctive green head, white ring, and chestnut-brown breast. Find out how mallards feed, fly, nest, and migrate in the Northern Hemisphere.
