Ducks are water birds that are usually found near lakes, rivers and ponds. Depending on the species, the difference between male and female may not always be as obvious. However, once you learn which characteristics to observe and listen to, you will be able to distinguish the two sexes.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Recognizing Color, Voice and Plumage
Step 1. Look at the duck's plumage
During the mating season, the color of the male is very flamboyant and is intended to attract the female. At the end of the season, it sheds, the plumage loses its brilliance and returns to resemble that of the female.
- The mallard has a sexual dimorphism, which means that the male and the female have a different appearance from each other. The females have brown and rather dull feathers, while the males have a deep purple band on the wings and generally show iridescent colors.
- The male of the Aythya valisineria species has a solid color plumage with shades ranging from white to light gray. The female's is brownish-greyish instead.
- The male of the bride duck species (Aix sponsa) is gray with blue markings on the wings during the mating season. Usually, the female's plumage is gray-brown.
- The feathers of the spotted mallard (Anas fulvigula) have a similar appearance in both sexes and it is therefore difficult to recognize a male from a female based on this characteristic alone.
Step 2. Look at the color of the beak
This is another technique for distinguishing the two sexes of ducks. In many species, the beak does not change color during the mating season, this characteristic therefore remains constant throughout the year.
- In the mallard, the male has a bright yellow beak, while the female's is brown and orange.
- The beak of the male of the spotted mallard has a color ranging from olive green to yellow, but always solid color. The female's is brown and orange with dark spots.
- The male of the bride duck has a red bill with yellow areas on the bottom.
- During the mating season, the beak of the Jamaican hunchback (Oxyura jamaicensis) changes to a bright blue.
Step 3. Check the size of the animal
Regardless of the species, the male tends to be larger than the female. In addition to a larger body overall, males of the Mallard, Rouen Duck, and Welsh Harlequins (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) species also have larger heads and thicker necks than females.
Step 4. Check for the curled plumage near the tail
The male one tends to be curled upwards. This characteristic is generally evident from 2-4 months of age and remains unchanged even after moulting.
Females do not have this type of characteristic plumage for sexual appeal
Step 5. Listen to the ducks cry
The female tends to make a loud, hard cry, while the male usually makes a soft, rough sound. If you have chosen a duck as a pet and are comfortable grasping it, you can gently hold it by the tail until it starts squawking.
- You can use this method to distinguish the two sexes by the time the duck reaches approximately one month of age.
- In the musk duck (Cairina moschata) the sound of the females is similar to a trill or the cooing of pigeons. In the male, however, the verse is very deep and panting (a bit like a "hach-ach-ach").
- The female gray teal (Anas gracilis) makes a sound that somewhat resembles a thunderous chuckle that distinguishes her from the male.
Method 2 of 2: Examine the Duck Cloaca
Step 1. Place the duck on its back on a table
This is another method of determining the sex of the animal and is used for sexually monomorphic species (males and females have the same plumage), but also for ducklings that are 12 days old. This is a difficult procedure to perform; if you don't feel comfortable, ask someone who has more experience to do it for you.
- When placing the duck on the table, lay it down so that its chest is facing up and its legs are away from you. The tail should protrude from the edge of the table, so that you can bend it and examine the cloaca.
- If you don't have a solid surface to put the animal on, you can also kneel down and rest the duck on one leg, so you can fold its tail over the edge of your knee.
- Examination of the cloaca is more difficult on ducklings than on adult specimens, so ask a professional to do this.
Step 2. Locate the cloaca
This is the small external opening on the animal's butt that represents the end of the genital and reproductive tracts. Use your fingers to feel between the feathers and locate this opening.
Step 3. Expose the cloaca walls and genitals
To do this, use your index finger to flip the tail, applying upward reverse pressure on the other side of the tail with your middle and ring fingers. Then place your thumbs on either side of the opening and slowly move them outward.
- Apply gentle pressure during this operation to expose the cloaca walls and genitals, otherwise you could cause serious injury to the duck.
- An alternative method to obtain the same result is to insert the index finger into the opening for about one centimeter and move it with circular movements, in order to relax the sphincter which has the task of keeping the cloaca closed. When the sphincter has relaxed, you can use your thumbs to spread the walls apart.
Step 4. Locate the reproductive organs within the cloaca
By exposing the walls of the opening and the genitals, you can tell if it is a male or female duck. The male has a penis protruding from the cloaca. The female has the oviduct opening in the cloaca.
The penis of the male is small and without sheath in immature specimens, while in adult ones it is large and covered by the sheath
Advice
- The color of the plumage of the ducks can change according to the age, from when they are chicks to when they become adults; it is therefore easier to use this criterion to determine the sex of the specimen when the duck is fully developed.
- Both the male and the female of the mallard have a patch on their wings called a speculum that is iridescent blue in color with a white border.
- Some females, such as those of the musk duck species, have the same colored plumage as the male.
