How to Sound Like a Duck

Choosing a Method of Duck Call Imitation

• 1

  Understand the basics of different types of duck calls. The most important duck call is a harsh "quack," which is sharp and clear. Another duck call helpful to bird-watchers and hunters alike is the duck greeting. Phonetically, the greeting resembles the sound "kanc" repeated steadily, with descending intonation; the sound becomes lower each time you repeat it. When ducks feed, their calls resemble the sound "da-dit" repeated loudly. When ducks call to one another from a distance, they use a hail call. This resembles a nasal quaking that we can imitate by making the sound "aaaink," and is best attempted with a duck whistle.

  Listen to recordings of duck calls in order to fully understand them. Once you are familiar with the basics, you can proceed to imitate the calls orally, purchase a whistle or craft your own.

• 2

  Flatten one end of a plastic straw with your fingers. This is an easy way to craft a homemade duck whistle. It won't sound as authentic as a store-bought whistle, but just as some musicians are able to emulate the sounds of a percussion instrument with their mouths, you can use this tool to gradually master the duck calls described above without spending any money.

• 3

  Cut the flattened end of the straw into a sharp point, and flatten it again. The end of the straw should resemble a triangle. The flatter you can get the end of your straw, the louder a sound it will produce.

• 4

  Place the pointed end of the straw in your mouth and blow air forcefully through the straw until you hear a noise. Practice and strengthen certain muscles in your mouth before you can get a strong sound and control the calls you perform. Cut the end of the straw into a sharper point, or trim the straw into slightly different variations, until you find something that works for you.