Are Ducks Scared of Owls?
The food chain is a mystery. To survive, one protects themselves from predators and, in turn, preys on another.
Even though the chase is imminent, we’re still frightened by the sight of our predators. Ducks, too, are in the same boat as us. Along with a host of other things, ducks are afraid of owls.
People have long identified this, and some even use it as a trick to shoo away ducks from swimming in their pools. They use owl dummies by the side of their pools.
When a duck quacks less frequently and starts moving eerily as if silently panicking, that’s when you know your ducks are scared and feeling awkward.
The large protruding eyes of owls, ever so cold, are one of the predatory family of birds that is a nightmare for ducks.
If you feed your ducks under the open sky, feed them with food that will not catch the eyes of birds like owls. In that case, you might want to avoid food scraps.
Read more about duck habits:
Why Are My Ducks Afraid of Owls?
Ducks are naturally shy birds. They tend to be easily frightened. Above all else, owls, since the dawn of time, have been evolutionarily predators of ducks.
Thus, you might want to say that ducks are hard-wired to be afraid of owls. Owls, especially the great gray owls, are their predators; they hunt on wings.
What Makes Owls So Scary?
Apart from being a bad omen, owls are considered scary for their behavior and appearance primarily. The cold silence on their faces, paired with forward-facing eyes and plumage around their face, make them appear exceptionally grim.
These gloomy creatures are nocturnal, meaning they stay up at night and avoid the light of day. These birds have strict hunting territories.
If they sense a threat, they fly right out of nowhere to attack fearlessly. Their swift yet strong flight is one of the other factors making them scary.
Do All Ducks Fear Owls?
All ducks, unfortunately, fear owls. As mentioned earlier, these birds are natural predators of ducks. While owls are swift flyers silently making their move on wings, ducks are rather slow and heavy-bodied. This physical disadvantage makes ducks fall prey to the hands of owls.
How Can I Help My Duck Overcome Its Fear of Owls?
Like all other animals, you can train your ducks to do many things, including not being afraid. Keeping ducks inside a spacious enough pen is the first place to start.
Encourage your ducks to settle down inside the pen and create a safe abode for themselves. Eventually, step up and allow it to walk all over your premise and get accustomed to the spatial arrangements.
As the duck gets accustomed and acclimatized, teach your duck reflexes. Keep the pen door open on purpose. Let your duck leave its premise on its own.
It should be able to swim or take flight quickly. Ducks are pretty trainable but mind you, hold on to your patience since it takes a bit of time. Young ducks are like sponges, and they learn much faster than older ones.
Why Are My Ducks Afraid of Me?
That can be a tricky question since animals or birds can be very instinctive creatures. Below are some common reasons why they might be afraid of you:
Learning From Their Parents
If you’ve spent quite a bit of time rearing ducks, one reason why ducks may be afraid of you might be because their parents were afraid.
This form of fear is not innate but learned and can be unlearned just as quickly.
Your Method Of Approaching Needs Revision
You might want to revise your methods of approaching them too. If you come across as a tall, broad individual walking towards them head-on, you’ll easily cause them to feel frightened.
What You Can Do In Place Of That Is..
Instead, try approaching them sideways in a tender fashion. If they’re still scared, try crawling movement or squatting down to move toward them slowly. Give them time to feel that your presence is not a threatening one.
They’re Scared Because Of Your Appearance Changes Too Frequently
If you’ve noticed your ducks going skittish around you, observe your attire. Are you switching clothes too frequently in front of the ducks?
It might be tough for them to realize it’s you if you’re changing your appearance quite drastically with each exposure.
Talk To Them!
They might not talk back like a show host or fully comprehend what you’re saying, but it helps. Ducks understand sound and language.
They’ll engage with the tonality associated with each word and slowly make sense of your existence in their lives. They are very social, so talking is key.
What Else Are Predators to Ducks?
There are a wide range of predators to ducks. Some common ones are coyotes, hawks, eagles, raccoons, snakes, owls, fishes like bass, etc.
How did they become predators to ducks in the first place? Let’s take hawks for example. Hawks are carnivores – they eat other animals to survive.
Regardless, all hawks don’t devour ducks. You have to understand from a survival perspective. Geographically, if your hawk is located at a place where its easy prey is a chicken, another bird or a duck, the hawk will have it.
Hawks don’t always have ducks due to their size unless the hawk is large in size. Ducks require a lot of space to be attacked and grabbed by a hawk’s talons. Considering everything at hand a hawk will choose to attack a duck.
How Can You Tell Your Duck Is Scared or Happy?
Their Language! What else? In fact, their quacking is so unique and in sync with their emotions that it won’t take you long to understand what they are feeling.
If happy, high-pitched quacking, frequent wing flapping, and head bobbing. The more scared they are, the more silent they go.
In Conclusion
Ducks are afraid of owls and a host of other wing-flapping predators, including hawks and eagles. The Great Gray Owls are their absolute nightmares.
The closer owls get in the radar of your ducks, and you’ll notice either loud panicky quacks or eerie body movements and going silent all of a sudden.
Teach your ducks to grow brave and handle their fear, starting from their pens. These beauties are capable of being trained for life, but of course, it takes time.
If, for some reason, your ducks fear you, try talking to them. You’ll see your ducks bobbing their heads away in happiness in no time.
That’s all for the article today! Hope you found the answers you were seeking in simplified terms. If you liked this article feel free to share it on any of your social media pages and stay connected with us on – Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest.
Image Credits:
- the-sun.com/news/
- worldnewsroom.info
- decoypro.com
- .canva.com/photos
Article References:
- http://www.poultrydvm.com/predator/owl
- https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/how-can-i-deter-wild-ducks-and-other-birds-from-my-swimming-pool/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7671161/
