Duck

Duck (Anas platyrhynchos)

Ducks live everywhere near lakes and rivers in both countries.

Drakes come in two different colors, depending on the season. In summer they are yellowish-brown and for the rest of the year, their heads and necks are dark green and shiny. Around their necks they wear white collars. Their backs are brownish-gray, wings have blue blazes and tails have two pair of black spots. The duck is yellowish brown. Drakes shed their feathers in June and July; the duck up until august. They typically weigh around 850-1400g

 

Lifestyle

To survive in the wild, the duck needs water, and it is important that the area surrounding the lakes and rivers are quiet, with lots of reeds for them to hide in.

Wild ducks start to pair up in the winter but only in spring do they mate. The duck lays around 8-14 greenish eggs in late April and early May, which she sits on for 26 days. After they are born, she will quietly leave the nest after making sure that the ducklings is covered with down which she pulled out from her body. From the age of 8 weeks they can already fly.

 

Food

Ducks mainly feed on lake-borne food such as water grass and plants, but also consume insects, larvae, worms, corn and grain. The morning and evening flight is basically their commute to and from food.

 

Predators

The wild duck has a horde of predators to deal with. Ducklings especially have to be wary of birds of prey, crows, hawks, foxes, polecats, rats, and so on.

 

Hunting Importance

At the moment around 20,000 wild ducks are allocated for hunting yearly in Slovakia.