How Do Wild Ducks Spend the Winter? Uncovering the Wintering Habits of Wild Ducks

The wild duck is a kind of waterfowl, and its numbers are very large. It is a general name for many kinds of wild ducks, with more than ten species. So how do wild ducks spend the winter?

1. How do wild ducks spend the winter?

Wild ducks are migratory birds. Under natural conditions, they migrate south in autumn to spend the winter. In China, they often spend the winter in the provinces of the Yangtze River basin or in areas farther south; in late spring they pass through North China to Northeast China, reaching Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and other places.

2. Living habits of wild ducks

1. They like to move in flocks and roost in groups. In summer, they live in small groups in freshwater rivers, lakes and marshes where aquatic plants are abundant. In autumn they molt their flight feathers, and during migration they often gather into large flocks of several hundred to more than a thousand.

2. They undergo a complete molt between summer and autumn and a partial molt between autumn and winter. The nuptial molt begins in the breeding season and ends by the end of August. Male ducks molt into nuptial plumage about 15-20 days earlier than female ducks, while the winter molt takes place almost simultaneously.

3. They have a broad and varied diet, often feeding on small fish, small shrimp, crustaceans, insects, as well as plant seeds, stems, stems and leaves, algae and grains.

4. Their calls are loud and very similar to those of domestic ducks. In the south, the natural hybrid offspring of mallards and domestic ducks are often used as “decoy ducks” to trap incoming flocks of ducks. The male duck's call sounds like “jia”, and the female duck's sounds like “ga”.

5. They molt twice a year: a complete molt (that is, the nuptial molt) between summer and autumn and a partial molt between autumn and winter. The nuptial molt begins in the breeding season and ends by the end of August. Male ducks molt into nuptial plumage about 15-20 days earlier than female ducks, while the winter molt takes place almost simultaneously. The partial molt after autumn lasts about 2 months. The molt sequence is first the chest, belly, flanks and tail feathers, then the head and neck, and finally the back feathers.

6. Wild mallards have strong wings and strong flying ability. After 70 days of age, their wings grow large and their flight feathers are fully grown; they can not only fly from land, but also take off directly from the water surface and fly relatively far. In intensive artificial breeding, care must be taken to prevent them from flying away and escaping. For older mallards, netting canopies must be set up on the houses, land yards and water exercise areas used.

Wild ducks raised artificially for more than three generations can be eaten, but many wild ducks are Class I nationally protected animals and may not be captured or eaten.