Why are they always yellow? Rubber ones are too, and to the best of my knowledge, I’ve never seen one in nature quite like the color you see elsewhere. I would attempt to Google the pertinent information, but considering my normal woeful lack of ability, I don’t even know where to begin.
Dopers?
Well, Daffy Duck is black and Donald Duck is white.
I think though the Yellow comes from the fact that many Ducklings are yellow, they lose that color when they grow up, cartoonists then use yellow in a duck to mean that the character is a young one. Babies play with Rubber duckies that are yellow for the reason that they are supposed to be also “babies”.
Donald is white. (As is Daisy, Huey, Dewey, and Louie and Scrooge McDuck.)
Daffy is black.
Darkwing is white with either a colored face or a mask, (neither yellow).
Plucky is green.
Domestic ducklings are typically yellow–giving rise to yellow rubber duckies.
(Mallard ducklings tend to be a mixture of dark brown and yellow.)
Queer Duck is Seafoam Teal.
Duckula is green.
In fact, perhaps it would be more useful, at this point, if the OP could point out some examples of yellow cartoon ducks.
Sorry y’all, I guess I’m 0 for 3 lately on being clear with what I meant and (or) putting links in for illustration.
Always was definitely stretching it a bit and I should have put cartoon-type. Regardless, I’ve got a few specimens linked below to prove that I’m not completely crazy (yet). You in the back though, quit laughing!
And then last of all you have those interesting and fun land/water vehicles.
However, despite my examples, I’m beginning to realize that I must have been more focused on their beaks and feet, making the overall impression of much yellowness. Also, I never stopped to consider that they were purposely portraying baby ducks, like Huey. :o So, I appreciate everyone’s responses (and certainly for enlightening me previously unknown fowl, like Queer Duck, who looks incredibly cool). I needed another reason to gently nudge me towards bed after all. It seems my ability to get dingier grows with the night.
::: walks off muttering that there is a billion freakin’ cartoon ducks that do not look like Big Bird, especially Daffy ya idiot, how could you forget ?!?!! :::
A better question is: why do all Cartoon Ducks have speech impediments?
Realism.
