Today at Dekorte Park in the Meadowlands I saw a few dozen of Mallards. While on the water they were very quiet but as I approached they started to swim away. When I really close to a pair, they flew away. As they took off one made the two syllable sound "Wahck-wahck" and it said that again when landing. It sound like a typical duck sounding call. The mnemonic I came up with was "Good-bye" and "Hell-o". The pair landed next to about 8 other Mallards and they and few immediately started to call out "wahck-wachk-wachk-wachk-wachk-wachk-wachk..." for about 10 seconds and then they stopped.
do female Mallard makes same call as males during courtship?
ReplyDeleteThe quintessential duck’s quack is the sound of the female mallard. Females often give this call in a series of 2–10 quacks that begin loudly and get softer. When courting, she may give a paired form of this quack. The male does not quack; instead he gives a quieter, rasping, one- or two-noted call. Ducklings make soft, shrill whistles when alarmed.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/mallard/sounds