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How Can You Tell a Boy Duck From a Girl Duck?

Made for the water, ducks have a streamlined feathered body and webbed feet that allow them to swim through water with ease. All domestic ducks are descended from mallards except for Muscovy ducks. There are a few ways to tell if one is a female or male. By keeping track of physical traits and listening for vocal sounds you can figure out the sex in no time.

Instructions

- 1
  Listen to the duck's voice about 10 weeks after birth. Females, which are called hens, have loud quacks, while males have more of a soft and whispery sound.
- 2
  Look for a curled feather on the top of the tail after the duck is few months old. Males develop this unique feature which is called a drake feather.
- 3
  Keep track of size as the duck gets older. If it is a Muscovy, it should get almost twice the size of a female by the time it becomes 3 months old. The male's feet can be larger as well.
- 4
  Look for a green head, a grayish brown body and blue feathers on the back of a male mallard. The feathers change colors close to summer's end due to an eclipse molt, where the colors of their feathers resemble more of a female and get lighter. The colors will change back again later in the year. Females are spotted brown with a white tail and blue feathers.
- 5
  Watch for behavioral traits during the nesting time. Males will guard the eggs and chase others away, while females lay on the eggs to keep them warm.

Animals & Science