NSFW Mallard Activity

Today is Mother’s Day in the UK and so it was somewhat apt that whilst birdwatching on my patch I observed the process of Mrs Mallard starting to become a mother herself. Mallard reproduction can be a somewhat brutal affair, they have a reputation for aggressive and violent mating. The ratio of males to females is often skewed towards the males and so when it comes to mating many males will target one female and will fight one another over the female and can drown the female in the process. 

Today’s mating was much gentler. The pair of Mallard had been feeding together for most of the morning, dabbling around the edge of the mill pond. The female broke away swimming away from the banks and signalling her intent by assuming a receptive posture. She bobbed her head a few times and then lowered her head on to the surface of the water, arching her back. The drake took little persuasion quickly grabbing her by the neck and mounting her. Normally this is where things become dangerous, by holding the nape and with the weight on the duck the copulation occurs with the female completely submerged. 

When other males are involved, the female can often be kept underwater by the throng and in the worst cases drown in the attempt. In this relationship it may appear that the female has a rough deal, and they certainly do, males will often force themselves on the female, however they have a trick up their sleeve.

The males have corkscrew shaped penises, which is unusual in the bird world where males generally lack external genitalia, that match anticlockwise vaginas in the female. Females can use muscles to restrict this anticlockwise passage and block the entrance of the male, this gives them some measure of control of who inseminates them. 

Today’s pairing appeared completely consensual with the female taking the lead once the mating finished, which lasted only a few seconds they separated  and began some vigorous washing and preening before hauling out on the bank for a nap.

Within the next 7-28 days if the female has allowed the semen into her vagina she will lay a clutch of  12-13 fertile eggs which themselves will hatch a further 28 days later. These ducklings will face an uphill struggle for survival for on my patch ducking mortality is very high. The number of pike, mink, otter, fox, and heron on this stretch that even if all 13 hatch only 1 or 2 will make it to adulthood.