# A duck at Starbucks! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 18, 2013, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596 "2013-01-18T06:17:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/1 "2013-01-18T06:17:58Z")
A large duck has been mysteriously hanging out at a Portland Starbuck’s. (For anyone who wants to go and see it, it’s at 10500 Barbur Blvd; Capitol Hwy is a cross street.) During the day, it hops around happily in the parking lot; at night, it sits up on the roof. It appears to have no desire to leave. I found out that it’s a Muscovy duck (the Audobon society didn’t know what it was, but I might not have been describing it very well…) But there’s only ONE. Why aren’t there others? Where did it come from? Why is it there? Where will it go? Nobody knows… ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/2 "2013-01-18T06:47:21Z")
That’s Fred. Please send him home. We miss him. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/3 "2013-01-18T07:00:06Z")
well, you’re gonna need coffee if you’re going to listen to a duck reciting poultry. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/4 "2013-01-18T07:01:38Z")
1900 miles, I really want your binoculars. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/5 "2013-01-18T07:30:21Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > well, you’re gonna need coffee if you’re going to listen to a duck reciting poultry. I cry fowl! ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/6 "2013-01-18T08:41:29Z")
That’s right near the freeway and it’s a wide open parking lot. Basically, it’s a terrible place to get any decent kind of an echo. We can’t really confirm that it is a duck unless we can confirm that it’s quack doesn’t echo. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/7 "2013-01-18T11:00:32Z")
Why a duck? ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/8 "2013-01-18T12:22:41Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > We can’t really confirm that it is a duck unless we can confirm that it’s quack doesn’t echo. FWIW I have actually heard the echo of a duck’s quack. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/9 "2013-01-18T12:48:35Z")
> [@Anise](#): > > A large duck has been mysteriously hanging out at a Portland Starbuck’s. (For anyone who wants to go and see it, it’s at 10500 Barbur Blvd; Capitol Hwy is a cross street.) During the day, it hops around happily in the parking lot; at night, it sits up on the roof. It appears to have no desire to leave. I found out that it’s a Muscovy duck (the Audobon society didn’t know what it was, but I might not have been describing it very well…) But there’s only ONE. Why aren’t there others? Where did it come from? Why is it there? Where will it go? Nobody knows… There’s a Starbucks that we frequent that has a one-legged grackle that is always nearby. The reason is simple - the Starbucks employees have “adopted” Ernie, making sure he gets fed and some water. Ernie is the only grackle (among the kazillion that winter here in San Antonio) that hangs around. I would bet the same thing is happening with the duck - somebody is feeding the bird. And birds, not being complete idiots, don’t like to spend more time foraging than necessary. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/10 "2013-01-18T12:55:06Z")
[QUOTE=shijinn] well, you’re gonna need coffee if you’re going to listen to a duck reciting poultry. [/QUOTE] Why? Are you chicken? Afraid he’s going to pullet off, or that someone in the store will egg him on? Nest-ce pas? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/11 "2013-01-18T12:56:42Z")
Perhaps they should rebrand as “Starducks”. 😃 I quack me up! ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/12 "2013-01-18T13:15:04Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Why a duck? I was only fooling. They’re going to build a tunnel in the morning. Now, is that clear to you? ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/13 "2013-01-18T15:03:32Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Perhaps they should rebrand as “Starducks”. 😃 > > I quack me up! Indeed. Call me when there’s a large buck hanging around a Starbucks. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/14 "2013-01-18T15:14:05Z")
Did somebody say the secret word? ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/15 "2013-01-18T17:54:15Z")
Mitch Hedberg says to [send him to the Boise Subway](http://vimeo.com/6000666), where he can have free bread. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/16 "2013-01-18T17:58:07Z")
A duck? Lord, I love it. ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/17 "2013-01-19T00:40:50Z")
Actually, I think they said that the duck’s name is Frank… No, there’s not much of a chance for an echo. The Starbucks is at the strangest location-- kind of on its own little island in the middle of two very busy streets. You know what might be a good question, though… who first said that a duck’s quack doesn’t echo, and why? Did \*they \*actually think this was true? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/18 "2013-01-19T00:50:01Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I cry fowl! Just wait till you see the bill. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/19 "2013-01-19T01:09:59Z")
Did the duck ask if they had any bananas? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596/20 "2013-01-19T01:12:44Z")
> [@For You](#): > > Just wait till you see the bill. I hope the duck is healthy. I’d hate to see it come down with some strange mallardy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-duck-at-starbucks/647596.md?page=2)