Duckbody language.

Chatty, sociable and made for water, a flock animal who says far more than “quack.”

96Signals mapped

37Science-backed references

170Unique scenarios

Start with the animal

Who the duck is.

Domestic ducks, like the mallard-descended Pekin and the Muscovy, are waterfowl whose bodies and behaviour are built around water. They bathe, dip their heads and preen to keep their feathers, eyes and nostrils healthy.

They live in flocks, often do things together, and have a far richer vocal repertoire than most people expect. Duck research is still limited, especially for Muscovies, so FaunaVera tells you when its confidence is lower.

What FaunaVera looks at

The signals we read.

A few of the channels FaunaVera watches and listens to in every duck video, weighed together with context and checked against a duck-specific ethogram.

Voice

Quacks, calls and more.

For examplePekin ducks use up to 16 different calls, and some calls differ between males and females.

Water and bathing

Dipping and splashing.

For exampleDucks with full-body water access head-dip and preen with water more than ducks with only a little.

Feathers and preening

Care and condition.

For exampleMore access to water goes with more wet preening, a core part of how ducks look after themselves.

Flock

Doing things together.

For exampleDucks often bathe at the same time as their flockmates, so they need room to do it together.

Heat and breathing

Panting.

For examplePanting goes up in warmer, more humid or stuffier conditions, so it is a useful comfort signal.

Nesting

Choosing where to lay.

For exampleLaying ducks prefer loose material like sawdust, and blocking their preferred nest causes a stress response.

Did you know?

Pekin ducks called the most when a researcher sat in the room with them, not when they were alone.

Common misreads

“Ducks just quack.”Pekin ducks have up to 16 distinct calls, used in different situations.
“Drinking water is enough for a duck.”Ducks use water to bathe, head-dip and preen. With only nipple drinkers, their bathing is shorter and less complete.
“A panting duck is just tired.”In ducks, panting goes up with heat, humidity and poor air quality.

Being around a duck

Give them water deep enough to dip their whole head and bathe, and keep them with their flock. A calm human presence can bring out a lot of conversation.

See it for yourself

Your duck, read in seconds.

Upload a short video and FaunaVera reads the whole picture for you: an Interpretation, Voice of Animal, practical Tips and Ethogram Insights that explain exactly which signals it saw.

App Store Google Play

Where this comes from

A few of the studies.

FaunaVera's duck ethogram draws on 37 science-backed references. Here are a handful of them.

J. M. Schober et al. (2024). Vocalizations of the Pekin duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus): how stimuli, sex, and social groups affect their vocal repertoire. Poultry Science, 103, 103738. Read
C. Waitt, T. Jones & M. S. Dawkins (2009). Behaviour, synchrony and welfare of Pekin ducks in relation to water use. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 121(3-4), 184-189. Read
T. A. Jones & M. S. Dawkins (2010). Effect of environment on Pekin duck behaviour and its correlation with body condition on commercial farms in the UK. British Poultry Science, 51(3), 319-325. Read
K. K. M. O’Driscoll & D. M. Broom (2012). Does access to open water affect the behaviour of Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)?. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. Read
L. Barrett, S. K. Maloney & D. Blache (2023). Pekin ducks are motivated to lay in their preferred nest substrate. Animal Welfare, 32, e28. Read