How do ducks hear?

Answer 1

You might expect the answer to this to be "quack." It's actually much more complicated than that. Ducks have a wide range of vocalizations to match their various emotions. I speak at least for Mallard ducks and Rouens (domesticated Mallards).

Male Mallards/Rouens have one pretty basic vocalization--a low, throaty quack. It means any number of things, most commonly, "There's someone coming," or "danger" or "Are you there?" Sometimes it is a call for females.

Female mallards/Rouens have lots of different quacks. The most exciting is a long cascade of loud quacks, from high pitch to low. This signifies happiness, and is most common in late summer and early fall. They quack like this when they are content, happy, or in the water. Occasionally you get a duck who quacks like that all the time, for no apparent reason. They also have loud, single quacks, signifying danger, annoyance, or disturbance. When repeated over and over at a somewhat frantic decibel, this usually indicates harrassment by a male. A few quick, low quacks usually mean either flirtation or "Don't hurt me, I'm lower in the pecking order than you." (Sadly, these two things are pretty identical in the duck world).

Each individual duck also has unique vocalizations. Some squeak when they discover worms or land upon a particularly juicy pile of mud. I had a duck who honked compulsively whenever she flapped her wings. No idea why. I have another duck who quacks in a particular, very distinct pattern, mostly during the fall. Again, no idea why.l

I am not as well versed in the duck noises of other species, but there are definitely many interesting ones I've observed. American Widgeons sound exactly like squeaky toys. Wood Ducks whistle and squeak in a most unusual style. Scoters make strange plopping noises. Mergansers can be closely compared to bullfrogs. Canvasbacks gobble like turkeys. The noise of the Common Eider is probably best compared, if you can imagine it, to a purring owl.

Answer 2

If by talk you mean quack then they will naturally start quacking by themselves. like teenage boys with deepening voices, ducks kind of go through puberty with their voice, they peep as ducklings and then the peep starts to change into a quack.

If you mean really talk like humans, unfortunately, ducks can't learn to talk using any techniques currently known to man.

Answer 3

You've ask the big question that all of us out in the wildlife community are asking. I can only speak from direct observation, but they communicate mostly from body language. A turn of the head, a flip of the beak and their position in the pond or on shore all mean something to the other birds in the area.

I have known some who do use quacking as a means of communication. Intense, loud quacking means they're mad, quiet frequent quacking means they like the treat you happen to be feeding them at the time. Mallards, for the most part are quiet animals. Now if you want to get into real vocabulary, watch the Canadas; they almost have a language unto themselves.

Answer 4

They use their ears! In either side of their head, they have small holes from which they hear. Hope this helps!

Answer 5

it has ears (holes) i nthe side of its head

Answer 6

They quack, or use body language.

We can decipher that ducks communicate through vocalizations (the louder the tone, the more urgent the request) but also by gesture and movement.