What is this duck doing?

[Scissorjack]

In other words, she was pushing up daisies while he was pushing up Daisy’s.

[Reply]

@Colibri

There was a old hermit named Dave,
Who kept a dead whore in his cave.
He did admit
The feeling was shit,
But think of the money he saved!

@Scissorjack

In other words, she was pushing up daisies while he was pushing up Daisy’s.

Heh heh heh.

[tim314]

@Colibri

Given the limited nature of the pair bond in Mallards, I think it was very unlikely the male was mourning a dead mate. Much more likely he was interested in copulating with the female, even if he didn’t make any overt attempts.

Male Mallards are known for engaging in rape behavior, and as mentioned above there is a documented case of homosexual necrophilia. The first report of such avian Davian behavior involved a female that was killed by a goose and then gang-raped (if such a term can be applied to a corpse) by several male Mallards.

Well, that makes me feel better. Thanks, Colibri!

Although I’m not sure what it says about me that learning about avian necrophilia makes me “feel better”.

[KneadToKnow]

Wait, so guys who will go after a non-responsive female are really just thinking with their ducks?

[fighting_ignorant]

And it must be asked, “Why a duck?”

[Chez_Guevara]

@Colibri

Given the limited nature of the pair bond in Mallards, I think it was very unlikely the male was mourning a dead mate. Much more likely he was interested in copulating with the female, even if he didn’t make any overt attempts.

What’s your interpretation of the role played by the second male in this anatine tragedy?

[Colibri]

@Chez_Guevara

What’s your interpretation of the role played by the second male in this anatine tragedy?

I dunno, but I doubt he was acting as a grief counselor to Dave.

[Markxxx]

Could he be guarding it? Why didn’t the hawk come back to finsh the meal? You’d think a fox or something else, like a crow would come to scavenge it?

[I_Know_Nothing]

@Chez_Guevara

What’s your interpretation of the role played by the second male in this anatine tragedy?

My first thought was that he was trying to get laid too.

[ivan_astikov]

@Reply

Lacking more research, why assume either way? We just don’t know.

Because when faced with the option of viewing a living creature as a biological automaton or a conscious, feeling being, the decent thing to do is to err towards the latter.

[Wheelz]

@Markxxx

Could he be guarding it? Why didn’t the hawk come back to finsh the meal? You’d think a fox or something else, like a crow would come to scavenge it?

We live in a townhouse development in the suburbs. NEVER seen foxes around the property, or coyotes or other scavengers. Crows? trying to recall, but I don’t think they’re around much either.

Dunno why the hawk didn’t come back. We see hawks from time to time but they’re not that prevelant here. My guess is he doesn’t have much competition in the area, so he just went and scored lunch elsewhere.

I do know the carcass was pretty much intact on Sunday (the day after the kill). Monday morning it was too dark to tell its condition, but the male was still hanging around, so it must still have been at least recognizable as a female of his species…

[Reply]

@ivan_astikov

Because when faced with the option of viewing a living creature as a biological automaton or a conscious, feeling being, the decent thing to do is to err towards the latter.

And then eat it? That sounds counter-productive.

[CC]

@Colibri

… The first report of such avian Davian behavior involved a female that was killed by a goose and then gang-raped (if such a term can be applied to a corpse) by several male Mallards…

I’m sorry that the term has not been coined as Aviar Daviar Behavior. Almost begs for another limerick.

[ivan_astikov]

@Reply

And then eat it? That sounds counter-productive.

For a butcher, yes.

[Freudian_Slit]

@Reply

And then eat it? That sounds counter-productive.

I’d eat it first but that’s just me…

[Ludovic]

There once was a bird who’s quite avian
Whose behavior was never quite Davian
He saw a dead duck
Who proceeded to ****
With his mind: should he roast, or put gravy in?

[Scissorjack]

@Ludovic

There once was a bird who’s quite avian
Whose behavior was never quite Davian
He saw a dead duck
Who proceeded to ****
With his mind: should he roast, or put gravy in?

You, sir, have a diseased mind. My congratulations.

A lubricious young drake, sang a bard,
Found his sweetheart deceased, and got hard.
As he pondered her stiff
He thought “Is it wrong if
I enact quite a shocking canard?”

[Svejk_1]

I just finished a book that dealt with (among other things) homosexual necrophilia in ducks. It was written by a Dutch biologist named Kees Moeliker, who observed a case of, well, a duck fucking a dead duck. His description won him an IgNobel award, for research that makes you laugh, then makes you think.

[Reply]

@Svejk_1

I just finished a book that dealt with (among other things) homosexual necrophilia in ducks. It was written by a Dutch biologist named Kees Moeliker, who observed a case of, well, a duck fucking a dead duck. His description won him an IgNobel award, for research that makes you laugh, then makes you think.

Heh. Whoda thunk we’d go from “this duck is mourning its lost mate :(” to “[The first duck] collided with the glass façade of the Natuurmuseum Rotterdam and died. Another drake mallard raped the corpse almost continuously for 75 minutes.” With pics.

Oh, Internet.