I did I just see a duck divorce?

[Can_Handle_the_Truth]

I live on a lake in Florida. So I’m sitting on the back porch about 5:00 pm and there’s a mallard couple (hereafter called “Couple A” with Male A and Female A) swimming near the shore. Another mallard couple (“Couple B”) is swimming farther out. Suddenly Couple B start swimming shoreward, towards Couple A. Couple A see this and get out of the water, running up the grass bank towards my house. Couple B follow. All ducks are honking loudly. Suddenly Male B charges towards Female A, who does a running takeoff; Male B and Male A follow her and all fly across the lake and disappear behind trees on the far side. Female B, now alone, walks back into the lake and swims around near the shore. About 1 minute later the three flying ducks return, Female A in the lead, land about 10 feet offshore, and disappear behind some tall reeds. Female B swims swiftly to follow. Silence ensues. About 1 minute later a female (can’t tell who is who now) swims out from behind the reeds and starts preening herself. Then a male and female come swimming out together and begin to feed at the same spot where Couple A was originally. Then a lone male swims out. He shows no interest in the lone female, who eventually takes off, never to be seen again. The lone male hangs around the couple for about 15 minutes, then swims away.

So… what did I just see? A duck divorce/remarriage?

[Twoflower]

Based on this description, it was not so much a divorce as a failed engagement.

The pairing decision is up to the hen, and her chosen mate will remain with her throughout the winter and the breeding season. However, the early stages of pairing are marked by some confusion and indecision on the part of males. For example, “three bird flights” are common, in which a drake will temporarily abandon his mate in pursuit of another hen. The pursued hen performs an “inciting movement” by turning her head sideways and jabbing her bill backwards along her flank or breast, trying to deter the aggressor, and attract her mate to her defense. Often the intruder flies in from behind the hen causing her to take flight with her mate then taking flight after the intruder. Most attempts to break apart pairs are unsuccessful. However, in the process, a hen might be chased by as many as twelve or more drakes, and she may drown in the melee. Researchers believe that such events are responsible for unbalanced sex ratios among adult mallards.

[Can_Handle_the_Truth]

Thanks, Twoflower, that’s exactly what happened. I wish I’d known about the “inciting movement” by the female, so I could have watched for it.

[astorian]

Also… I seem to recall that, unlike many waterfowl, mallards do NOT mate for life. Most male ducks, geese and swans are not monogamous and share in the rearing of hatchlings, while mallard males are promiscuous and usually leave females ducks to raise ducklings alone.

Moreover, male mallards are known to attempt rape- and females often have to fight off unwanted attention.

[SCSimmons]

So it looks like Male B, who was evidently making progress with Female B, had a typical masculine mental breakdown over the newly espied Female A, chased after her, got run off by her chosen Male A, and ended up with nobody.

Guess he never heard the old proverb about a bush in the hand being worth two … Hrm. That doesn’t sound right-I guess I’d better look it up.