Many people have ducks as pets and they even give them cute duck names. Ducks are birds that belong in the Anatidae family. They are closely related to geese and swans. The difference between them is that ducks are smaller and have shorter necks. They are also considered as diving birds. Most of the time they get their food in lakes and ponds. They dive to catch small fishes and most ducks are aquatic birds that can swim in both freshwater and salt water. There are some ducks that do not dive but only feed on the surface of the water or on land. They also eat small plants to get nourishment.
A baby duck is called a duckling. A male duck is called a drake. A female duck is called a hen and they lay their eggs one a year. They have a pectin 
which is a comb-like structure located at the edge of their beaks. They use their pectin to preen their feathers. A group of ducks are called flock when they are in flight. They are called brace or badling when they are in the ground and they are called raft, team, or paddling when they are in the water.
Ducks transfer from place to place because they are migratory. They spend more time in a different place during the summer that winter. They also show a cosmopolitan distribution this is why they can be found all over the world. Most species can be found on remote islands.
While there are some ducks that are bred by humans, they are kept to provide meat and eggs. Most especially in Asian countries where most people eat duck meat. People also use their feathers for pillows. There are also some people who keep ducks as pets and you can see them in public ponds and parks.
How can you tell if a duckling is male or female?
There are actually various methods to tell the difference if a duck is a male or a female. Their difference is not really obvious but once you listen and look at them carefully, you can see the difference. One method is observing the ducks plumage or feathers. They will have a bright coloration in their feathers during the mating season. This is to attract females to mate with them and procreate. They will then lose and shed of their bright coloration after the mating seasons.
During the mating season, you can clearly distinguish their gender but after shedding their feather coloration, they will look like females. Unlike Mallard ducks, you can distinguish their gender whole year wound because they look completely different from each other. The female ducks are brown whereas males have a vivid purple color on their wings.
The male Canvasback ducks have solid white to light grey feathers while females have grayish-brown plumage. The male Wood Ducks have grey feathers with various blue markings on their wings while females have grayish-brown color.
Another method are by observing the color of the bill. This is one way to tell the difference between their genders. Most species do not change the color of their bill during the mating season. In mallards, males have bright yellow bills while the females have orange and brown bills. Mottled Ducks have solid olive green and yellow colored bills while females have orange to brown with dark splotches.
Another method is to look at the size of the duck. It is obvious that male ducks are larger than female ducks. In addition, male Mallards, Welsh Harlequins, and Rouens have larger heads and they also have thicker necks compared to the females.
You can also look at their tails. Male ducks have an upwardly curled feather and this is called a “sex feather”. This stands out in male ducks when they are between 2 to 4 months old. Females, on the other hand, have no sex feathers.
Another method to distinguish whether a duck is a male or a female is their sound. The quack of a male duck is rough and soft. You can differentiate them with their sound as early as one month old. Females sound like a coo or a trill. They have a crackling sound that you can quickly hear.
Also, you can check the cloacal also known as the venting of a duck. This is to be sure about the sex of the duck. This can be done with ducks that are sexually monomorphic. Venting is difficult to perform and if you do not have any experience doing it, you can ask other people who are familiar with this procedure.
This is done by placing the duck on a flat surface with its breast facing upward and its legs spread apart. Venting is rather difficult to do in ducklings compared to adult ducks so professionals should do this. If it is a male, his penis protrudes from the cloaca while female ducks have an oviduct opening.
Cute Duck Names that You Can Give Your Pet
- Moby Duck: This was derived from the character Moby Dick.
- Bebe: An adorable duck name and it is similar to babe which is a name given to pigs.
- Bunny: This can be given to a duckling most especially if it is a female.
- Downy O’Drake: This came from a Donald Duck cartoon.
- Alexa: This can be given to a beautiful female duck.
- Blake: This is a unique name that can be given your pet duck.
- Sir Quackly: Known as one of the Donald Duck universe characters
- Puddles: This name is best suited to ducks who love to play in puddles of water.
- McQuack: A common name for ducks. This is preferably given to male ducks.
- Molly Mallard: This is a great common name for female mallard ducks.
- Wiggles: If your duck loves to wiggle, this is the name for him.
- April: Names like May and April are great name options for ducks.
- McDuck: This surname comes from the Donald Duck universe.
- Squeak: If your duck squeaks instead of quacking, give this name to him.
- Sir Lancelot: Given to a duck that has a great form and body.
- Scrooge McDuck: This name came from a popular cartoon.
- Bella: This means a beautiful duckling.
- Donald Duck: No list of duck names would be complete without this famous name.
- Sir Fluff-a-Lot: If you have a duck with fluffy feathers, give him this name.
- Daisy Duck: Counterpart to Donald Duck, this name is given to female ducks.
- Waddles: Ducks love to waddle everywhere. Give this to him if he is one of those ducks who always waddle.
- Anne: This is a sweet name that you can give your pet duck.
- Lily: Flower names are great duck names. Some include Rose and Sunflower.
- Hunter: Ducks love to hunt small insects. Give this to him if he has traits like this.
- Magoo: This is a great duck name for those more matured ones.
- Huey: This was the name of one of Donald Duck’s nephews.
- Butterscotch: What a sweet name for a duck. You can also call him brownies or cookies.
- Bonnie: Bonnie and Clyde are great names if you have a pair of them.
- Dewey: This was another name of Donald Duck’s nephews.
- Dot: If your duck has dots on its feathers, this is a great name for her.
- Louie: This is another name of Donald’s nephews.
- Ariel: Ducks like to play in the water, give this mermaid name to her.
- Lola: This is commonly given to bunnies, but it is also a pretty duck name too.
- Ludwig Von Drake: This was the name of Donald Duck’s scientist uncle.
- Mrs Beakley: This was the name of a duck in Ducktales.
- Max: Most commonly given to dogs, this name is also a great name for large ducks.
- Fawn: It can be confusing to name your duck after a baby deer but it might work.
- Fluffy: Well this is an obvious option for a duck name.
- Gypsy: If your duck loves to wander everywhere, this should be the name given to her.
- Nibbles: Ducks who love to nibble everything should be given this adorable name.
- Puff: Ducks who have thick feathers should be given this obvious name.
- Daffy Duck: This is one of the Looney Tunes characters.
Ducks Are Unusual Pets But They Can Be Great
Ducks are very unusual pets and most people prefer to have a cat or a dog and even hamsters. Some say that dogs rule and cats drool. But ducks could beat them in many ways. There are some people that love to take care of ducks because they have a great form and they are very much adorable to look at most especially if they are many.
Ducks are very easy to take care of most especially if you have a big area for them to wander around. You also should have a clean source of water. Ducks love to play in puddles of water and it also helps them to keep cool during hot summer months. If you love ducks, there are many reasons why you should have them as pets. You can give them cute duck names to give them personality and for you to make them part of your family.
