Mean old ducks!

[Stinkerbell]

While i was at the park the other day feeding the ducks i noticed a group of male ducks huddled together. When i took a closer look i noticed that they were sat on a female duck, pecking at her head and quite obviously trying to drown her, they just would not let her above water. Even once they had killed her 2 or 3 still kept biting at her, what was there reason for doing it? any ideas? I thought it might be a mating thing but they seemed quite intent on drowning her not mating with her.

[Cetti]

Hi Stinkerbell - Mallards are not given to delicate courtship or intricate mating rituals like the elegant cranes and grebes .... more gang bang which can and does lead to the poor female beinng drowned!!

This is from the Wikipedia website: "When they pair off with mating partners, often one or several drakes will end up "left out". This group will sometimes target an isolated female duck � chasing, pestering and pecking at her until she weakens (a phenomenon referred to by researchers as rape flight), at which point each male will take turns copulating with the female. Male mallards will also chase males in the same way to copulate with other males".

[Lonnie]

Just a little note to follow on from Cetti, Ducks are quite renowned for committing what we call 'Rape', just hope your nort reincarnated as a female duck.

[electricblue]

We sometimes go to a little pub on the broads near to us and we have sat there and watched a female duck being chased all over the grass by a large group of males,they just keep on chasing her until she must be absolutely knackered,the boys are just nasty,but they run just as fast when being chased!??