Ducks, known as waterfowl, are usually found near lakes, rivers and ponds. Depending on the duck species, the difference between a male duck (drake) and a female duck (hen) may not be very clear. However, once you know what to pay attention to and listen to, you can more easily tell the difference between a male and a female duck.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Recognizing Colors, Sounds and Feathers
Step 1. Pay attention to the duck's feathers
During the breeding season, male ducks will have very brightly colored feathers to attract a mate. At the end of the breeding season, the male duck will molt so that it loses its colors and looks the same as the female duck.
- Mallard ducks (necklace ducks) are a sexually dimorphic species, meaning male and female ducks look different. The female ducks have brown fur and look boring, while the male ducks have purple wings (like a sash) and have colorful plumage.
- Canvasback ducks have plumage ranging from white to light gray. The female duck has a slightly gray brown fur.
- The wood duck has gray plumage with blue markings on the wings during the breeding season. Female duck feathers are usually gray brown.
- Mottled ducks, both male and female, have the same coat color so it is difficult to tell them apart on the basis of feathers alone.
Step 2. Observe the color of the beak
Beak color can be another clue to tell the difference between male and female ducks. In many species, the color of the beak does not change during the breeding season. Therefore, these physical characteristics do not change throughout the year.
- In Mallard species, male ducks have bright yellow beaks while female ducks have brown and orange beaks.
- In mottled ducks, males have olive green to yellow beaks. The female duck has a brown to orange bill with black spots.
- The male wood duck has a red beak with a yellow patch on the underside.
- During the breeding season, the ruddy duck's beak turns a bright light blue.
Step 3. Observe the size of the duck
Among all species, male ducks tend to be larger than females. In addition to having a larger body size, male Mallard, Rouen, and Welsh Harlequin ducks have larger heads and thicker necks than females.
Step 4. Notice the presence of curled fur near the tail
Male ducks have feathers curled up near the tail. This fur is nicknamed "sex fur". These feathers will appear on male ducks when they are two to four months old, and remain after the molting period.
Female ducks do not have sex feathers
Step 5. Listen to the sound of the duck
Female ducks tend to make louder and louder sounds. The male duck's voice is usually soft and hoarse. If you have a duck as a pet and are comfortable handling it, you can gently hold its tail until it makes a quaking sound.
- Duck sounds can be used to distinguish between males and females since the duck is about one month old.
- In Muscovy ducks, the female duck's voice is similar to chirping or cooing. Male Muscovy Ducks will make very deep, gasping sounds (sounds like “hach-ah-ah”).
- The female Gray Teal Duck makes a sound that sounds like a squawk, which distinguishes it from the male duck.
Method 2 of 2: Checking the Duck Cloaca
Step 1. Place the duck on the table
Cloacal examination is another method used to determine the sex of ducks. This method was used on ducks that had no morphological differences between males and females (both had the same external characteristics), and was also used to determine the sex of ducklings from 12 days of age. Cloacal examination is a difficult procedure to perform. If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, ask someone with more experience to do it.
- When you lay your duck down on the table, make sure your chest is facing up and your legs are facing you. The tail should extend beyond the edge of the table so that it can be bent downwards to examine the cloaca.
- If you don't have a solid surface on which to lay the duck down, you can kneel down and place the duck on your thighs so the tail can be bent over the knee.
- Examination of the cloaca is more difficult in ducklings than in adults. So, ask for professional help to do it.
Step 2. Locate the cloaca
The cloaca is a small opening near the duck's bottom. The genital and reproductive tracts of ducks end in the cloaca. Use your fingers to search for these external holes between the feathers.
Step 3. Expose the cloacal wall and genitals
Use your index finger to fold the tail down and apply upward pressure to each side of the tail with your middle and ring fingers. Then, place the thumbs on either side of the cloaca and slowly move the thumbs away from each other.
- Press gently to expose the walls of the cloaca and genitals. Ducks will be seriously injured if you press too hard.
- Another way to expose the cloacal wall and genitals is to insert a finger about 1 cm into the cloaca and move the finger in a circle to relax the sphincter that keeps the cloacal wall closed. Once the sphincter is relaxed, you can use your thumb to open the cloaca.
Step 4. Identify the reproductive organs inside the cloaca
By exposing the walls of the cloaca and genitals, you can determine the sex of the duck. Male ducks have a penis sticking out of the cloaca, while female ducks have an oviduct opening inside the cloaca.
In male ducks, if immature the penis may be smaller and exposed (not sheathed), and if it is an adult the penis is large and covered with a sheath
Tips
- Duck feather color will change with age, ranging from ducklings to adult ducks. So, using color to determine sex is easier for adult ducks.
- Male and female Mallard ducks both have a blue patch surrounded by a white line on the wing called a speculum.
- Some female ducks, such as species native to South America, have the same coloration as male ducks.
