Sex imbalance.....

[Paul C]

.........in ducks. We've noticed there's an imbalance in the number of males vs females. We did a non-scientific "survey" on one day's cruising and it looks like there's a ratio of about 4 males : 3 females. Anyone else noticed this? And I wonder why this is so? Are there loads of female ducks hiding away from the canals, or something like that? Or could it be the way nature occurs, to encourage competition for mating amongst the males?

[Tonka]

1 hour ago, Paul C said:

.........in ducks. We've noticed there's an imbalance in the number of males vs females. We did a non-scientific "survey" on one day's cruising and it looks like there's a ratio of about 4 males : 3 females. Anyone else noticed this? And I wonder why this is so? Are there loads of female ducks hiding away from the canals, or something like that? Or could it be the way nature occurs, to encourage competition for mating amongst the males?

Have you researched ducks when they go through the eclipse 

[Yellowback]

Are you sure all those drakes are, or are they wannabe ducks, suppose you could ask the local sturgeon to be certain.

[magnetman]

It is possible the male ducks are better at quacking the eggs to get out. 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

The females have much better camouflage. Maybe you just didn't see them. They were inside your boat cabin while you were cruising, stealing any valuables and buying stuff on ebay with your credit card.

Ducks are also very good at using human psychology and misdirection in their criminal enterprises.

 

Edited February 22, 2023 by Jen-in-Wellies

[tree monkey]

1 hour ago, Paul C said:

.........in ducks. We've noticed there's an imbalance in the number of males vs females. We did a non-scientific "survey" on one day's cruising and it looks like there's a ratio of about 4 males : 3 females. Anyone else noticed this? And I wonder why this is so? Are there loads of female ducks hiding away from the canals, or something like that? Or could it be the way nature occurs, to encourage competition for mating amongst the males?

I've noticed it, particularly in areas where there is an artificialy high population because of feeding from locals/tourists but the imbalance is still there in the more rural/quieter areas as well.

@Jerra having an interest in our feathery friends might offer an explanation 

[Jerra]

6 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

I've noticed it, particularly in areas where there is an artificialy high population because of feeding from locals/tourists but the imbalance is still there in the more rural/quieter areas as well.

@Jerra having an interest in our feathery friends might offer an explanation 

I would suggest a couple of thoughts.

 

1.  It depends on the time of year.  Females are a lot less obvious while on eggs and to some extent while rearing the ducklings.

 

2.  The ratio male to female at hatching is as you would expect 50:50.   This ratio remains roughly the same up to the first breeding season.  After that the males start to increase in proportion, so it would appear that the stress and strain of raising the young, coupled with them being an easy target for predators as they try to protect the ducklings causes losses and the ratio changes.

[tree monkey]

5 minutes ago, Jerra said:

I would suggest a couple of thoughts.

 

1.  It depends on the time of year.  Females are a lot less obvious while on eggs and to some extent while rearing the ducklings.

 

2.  The ratio male to female at hatching is as you would expect 50:50.   This ratio remains roughly the same up to the first breeding season.  After that the males start to increase in proportion, so it would appear that the stress and strain of raising the young, coupled with them being an easy target for predators as they try to protect the ducklings causes losses and the ratio changes.

I suspect your point 2 is a major reason, I've seen the imbalance outside the breeding season as well

[magnetman]

Chemicals in the water has always been my thoery. 

Causing sex changes in the fish by all accounts. 

[TheBiscuits]

7 minutes ago, Jerra said:

The ratio male to female at hatching is as you would expect 50:50.   This ratio remains roughly the same up to the first breeding season.  After that the males start to increase in proportion, so it would appear that the stress and strain of raising the young, coupled with them being an easy target for predators as they try to protect the ducklings causes losses and the ratio changes.

 

Haven't you lot ever seen ducks mate?

 

She doesn't always survive the experience, which would be a simple explanation of the ratio change.

[magnetman]

4 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Haven't you lot ever seen ducks mate?

 

She doesn't always survive the experience, which would be a simple explanation of the ratio change.

Male ducks have one of the longest willies of all animals compared to body size. They can be as long as 9 inches (according to the drake). 

 

This diminutive lake duck has a big little lad. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_duck

 

ETA underestimated it. 

 

16.7 inches. Crikey on a bikey..

Edited February 22, 2023 by magnetman

[tree monkey]

1 minute ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Haven't you lot ever seen ducks mate?

 

She doesn't always survive the experience, which would be a simple explanation of the ratio change.

That might be a symptom though rather than the cause

[magnetman]

Apparently the females counter this by having an anti-corkscrew reproductive organ. 

 

Every day is a school day.

[Jerra]

7 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Haven't you lot ever seen ducks mate?

 

She doesn't always survive the experience, which would be a simple explanation of the ratio change.

Part of the changes yes.  However the sex imbalance is common in many waterfowl and most of them aren't mating as Mallards do.

[nicknorman]

Provision has to be made for the gay drakes.

[Puffling]

Singer songwriter Nick Drake (died aged 26) was said to be the inspiration for The Dream Academy's Life In A Northern Town

 

[Mac of Cygnet]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

Male ducks have one of the longest willies of all animals compared to body size. They can be as long as 9 inches (according to the drake). 

 

This diminutive lake duck has a big little lad. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_duck

 

ETA underestimated it. 

 

16.7 inches. Crikey on a bikey..

 

My mind has just boggled.  From the link:

 

 It is theorized that the size of their spiny penises with bristled tips may have evolved in response to competitive pressure in these highly promiscuous birds, removing sperm from previous matings in the manner of a bottle brush.

Although most male birds have no penis,[6] ducks have a long corkscrew penis, and the females have a long corkscrew vagina, which spirals in the opposite direction.[7] The males often try to force copulation, but the complex mating geometry allows the females to retain control—most forced copulations do not result in successful fertilization.[8]

[LadyG]

Enough is enough 

[Paul C]

52 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Provision has to be made for the gay drakes.

 

I suspect some will turn gay, through curiousity or something to try out. But.....are you saying male gay ducks are naturally more likely than lesbian ducks? I have to admit, I've not seen 2 lesbian ducks hard at it, despite extensive internet searching.

[nicknorman]

8 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Enough is enough 

..said the duck. Don't you know that quack means no.

[magnetman]

Perhaps best not to think about it too much. 

[frahkn]

13 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Enough is enough 

I refer you to "Sexual aggression in Mallard ducks" a Phd thesis by (I think) Dr Helen Williams. Just reading the methodology is an eye-opener. 

[magpie patrick]

1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Haven't you lot ever seen ducks mate?

 I completely misread that as "mate, haven't you ever seen ducks" and wondered who the heck on a canal forum had managed to miss the darn things!

[magnetman]

We had a duck with a load of ducklings on a balcony about 3 storeys up in the flats near the mooring. I assisted the flat owner to decant them into a basket and introduce them to the canal. One of the ducklings fell off the balcony a good 20ft onto concrete. 

 

Was it bothered ? Not at all. 

 

canal bank is a high wall here so I carried it down to the pontoon. The mum cleared off for a while due to the humans but later on she did come and collect all eleven of the ducklings which was quite good. 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2023 by magnetman

[Cheshire cat]

I suspect a lot of the females don't survive their first breeding season. Drowning during mating seems to be very common.