As a duck owner, you’ve likely spent many hours observing your ducks’ behavior. Among the observations you’ve made, one question that sticks out to you is likely, why do ducks wag their tails?
If you’re hoping it’s because your ducks are happy to see you, like a dog wags its tail, you could be right.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about why ducks shake their tails, along with an explanation for other common duck behaviors.
The Science Behind Duck Tail Shaking
Ducks shake their tails for several reasons. And, yes, one of those reasons could be because they’re excited to see you (or, more likely, the food you carry).
Let’s take a closer look at the various scenarios that’ll cause your duck to shake its tail.
Happiness
Ducks and dogs don’t have a lot in common, but they do have this much: Wagging their tails when they’re excited.
That said, if your duck is shaking its tail out of excitement, it’s usually coupled with other signs of happiness, too. They include:
- Flapping its wings
- Hopping around
- Nodding and tilting their head
Attracting a Mate
Male ducks often shake their tails when they want to get the attention of a female duck. So, if you notice that only a male is shaking its tail, this is likely the reason.
Not only will a male duck shake its tail to swoon a female, but it’ll also splash water on her with its head and wings.
Looking for Something
It’s a duck’s natural instinct to do two things: Search for food and be on the lookout for predators.
In both of these scenarios, ducks often shake their tails. The tail shaking is typically accompanied by them tilting their head so that they get a better view of their surroundings.
Sickness
Unfortunately, when a duck shakes its head, it can mean that it’s ill. Therefore, if your duck shows signs of lethargy coupled with its tail shaking, you should call the vet.
You can also check to see if the preen gland, which sits near its tail, has a yellow hue or looks inflamed. Often, this is a common sign of illness and the reason why ducks shake their tails.
Wing Movement
Sometimes our ducks do silly things with their wings that leave us perplexed. If you’ve noticed your duck fluttering or flapping their wings, there’s a good reason why.
Fluttering Their Wings
Ducks often flutter their wings to remove large droplets of water after a swim or if it rained. Their wing fluttering is typically in the form of small, quick wing shaking.
Flapping Their Wings
A duck flapping its wings is different from when it flutters its wings—this is a full wing stretch. If a male duck flaps its wings in the water, it typically means that it’s either a sign of aggression towards other males or that it’s showing off to the females that it wants to mate with.
Ducks may also flap their wings in an attempt to fly. However, most domesticated ducks are puddle ducks, meaning they don’t typically dive, and they spend a lot of their time walking around on land.
That said, if your ducks don’t have clipped wings and you see them flapping their wings a lot in the water, it could mean that they’re trying to fly, but debris beneath the water entangled their legs.
Head Movement
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Bobbing Their Heads
Ducks bob their heads to court one another. Both males and females display this behavior, and you’ll almost strictly witness it during mating season, which is often from December through March in the Northern Hemisphere.
If you notice a duck bobbing its head at you, there’s probably something else going on. When ducks bob their heads, it usually means that they’re trying to flirt. However, they’re smart enough to know that they can’t flirt with humans. So, their head bobbing in your direction is either because there’s a female duck nearby or because their hungry stomach is excited to see you.
Shaking Their Heads
Male ducks (drakes) typically shake their heads when they want to attract a female (hen) for mating. You’ll know a female duck likes what she sees if you see her nodding her head up and down at the drake. Before you know it, you’ll have ducklings running around your yard!
Do Ducks Flirt?
Just like people, ducks love to flirt. Male ducks often lead the flirting, using tail shaking and head bobbing to attract a female. They also may lift themselves out of the water to appear larger and play nip at a female. In turn, interested females reciprocate the flirting by nodding their heads.
Why Do Ducks Vibrate When They Eat?
If you notice your ducks vibrating when they eat, it’s a sign that they’re anxious because they believe that predators are around. They also often accompany their vibrations with head tilting to have a better view should an animal come to attack them.
More About Specific Duck Behaviors
Muscovy and Pekin ducks are some of the most common domesticated ducks. With that in mind, does it mean the same thing when they shake their tails or flap their wings? Likely, yes.
Muscovy ducks wag their tails for several reasons. The most heart-warming for duck owners is when they wag their tails out of excitement to see you or because they want to eat the food you give them.
They also may wag their tails to attract a mate, when looking for food, or when they believe a predator is nearby.
Finally, Muscovy ducks will wag their tails if they’re feeling unwell. So, you should monitor your duck’s behavior to determine if you should call the vet.
There are a few reasons why Pekin ducks flap their wings. One of the most common is because a drake is trying to court a hen. It also could be because the duck is trying to fly but can’t because you clipped their wings or because debris is entangling their legs.
Lastly, a Pekin duck may flap its wings to stretch them out or shake off water droplets after a swim.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this guide to duck body language provided you with some valuable insight into the daily lives of your ducks. The more you know about their behavior, the better caretaker you’ll be able to be and the happier life your ducks will have.