Hi all,
While we were watching the Freckled Ducks at Lake Lorne on Sunday one male in breeding colour put on a very spectacular display. I have looked in HANZAB and very little mention, if any, is made of what we saw.
The bird came out of a roost under willows on an island in the lake and swam for some 30 metres to a part submerged tree trunk where ducks were hauling out to preen in the sun. For most of the 30 metres the male was rolling its body and as each wing went under water it was raised violently so as to throw a curtain of water around it and skywards for some 2 metres. I have put a photo on the BOCA photo gallery showing how the bird was creating this spray of water.
It encountered some PBD and Chestnut Teal along the way and forced one bird to flee from its path. It seemed that the Freck was possibly performing some sort of territorial display, informing all and sundry that this area belonged to him. Maybe, however, it was just having a very, very vigorous bath, but it did seem a bit extreme for that because the session went on for 30 metres and 2 + minutes.
In its description of the Freckled Duck HANZAB has a heading called “Comfort Movements”. Under the heading there is no discussion of any of the movements (except for wing “shuffling” to ventilate feathers), just a list of movements in bold text. One of movements is listed as “Wing-thrashing”. It is possible that this is what the bird was doing, and that it bird was getting some form of “comfort” from this extended act of “Wing-thrashing” but it did go on for a long time and was performed as the bird moved forward in the water. It did not appear that it was just “settling its feathers into a more comfortable position”.
It is possible that this male was the dominant bird in the area because he later made a threat display toward a passing Freckled Duck (a non-coloured male or female) that HANZAB describes as “indicating dominance toward a subordinate bird of either sex”. There is a photo of this display on the BOCA site.
I am wondering if anyone has seen a similar display from a Freckled Duck or can give me information on what the bird was doing.
Thanks
Jenny ===============================
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