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Think ducks are cute? This might change your mind
FoxNews.com ^ | July 03, 2017 | Arden Dier

Posted on 07/03/2017 2:12:35 PM PDT by ETL

Zoologist Silviu Petrovan of the University of Cambridge was birdwatching at a reservoir in Romania when he spotted a flock of mallards hunting a fledgling that had landed on the water.

A female duck grabbed the grey wagtail in her beak, dunked it several times beneath the water, then ate it, Petrovan says. A black redstart landed soon after and "was almost instantaneously attacked" by 10 juveniles, per the study in the journal Waterbirds.

Though mallards in California have been sighted munching on sand crabs, the ducks usually eat plants, insects, and the occasional small fish. As far as scientists can tell, such predatory behavior not involving fish or amphibians has never been seen before.

It's not only "very rare" but also likely a new phenomenon, says Petrovan, noting mallards have "not ... really evolved" to digest bones and feathers. "The mallard was massively struggling to eat that wagtail, presumably because it couldn't actually tear it to pieces" due to the design of its bill.

So why would a duck eat a bird at all? Petrovan suggests "pressure for those fast-growing juveniles to get animal protein intake."

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Outdoors
KEYWORDS:
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Image result for mallard eat grey wagtail bbc
The unfortunate grey wagtail is swallowed almost whole

Image result for mallard eat wag tail
A mallard duck closes in on a fledgling black redstart

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40445379

1 posted on 07/03/2017 2:12:35 PM PDT by ETL
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To: ETL

Romania? Must be Gypsy ducks.


2 posted on 07/03/2017 2:14:12 PM PDT by Cowboy Bob
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To: ETL

I have seen Bass eat ducklings.


3 posted on 07/03/2017 2:15:37 PM PDT by glasseye
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To: ETL

I LOVE wild duck. Grew up in a hunting family and can pick a carcass clean. Watched for the ‘bird shot’, tho. Can break teeth.

Hungry for one, now.


4 posted on 07/03/2017 2:17:13 PM PDT by RushIsMyTeddyBear
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To: ETL

There is a reason they are called wild animals. The media like to portray an idealistic socialist system among the animals. The harsh reality is a constant struggle of survival.


5 posted on 07/03/2017 2:17:50 PM PDT by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again,")
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To: All

From the 2nd source I linked to (BBC)...

Dr Silviu Petrovan noticed the unusual behaviour of a group of mallards while he was out bird watching with friends near a national park in southwest Romania.

He saw the adult female duck grab the grey wagtail in her beak, and repeatedly submerge it in the water, before eventually eating it.

A second bird - a fledgling black redstart - then landed in the water, where it was chased by juvenile mallard ducks.

“The poor bird landed on the water and was screaming and trying to navigate itself out of danger,” said Dr Petrovan. “Then it was almost instantaneously attacked by the mallards.”

The bird eventually disappeared - assumed to be drowned or consumed.

The scientists could find no record of mallard bird predation in the scientific literature, which suggests such behaviour is both “very rare” and newly-learned.

“The mallard was massively struggling to eat that wagtail, presumably because it couldn’t actually tear it to pieces because the bill is flattened - it’s not designed for ripping prey apart,” said Dr Petrovan.

“Digesting bones and feathers - that’s not something that mallards have really evolved to do.”

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40445379


6 posted on 07/03/2017 2:17:55 PM PDT by ETL (Obama-Hillary, the REAL Russia-US scandal (UraniumOne Deal, Missile Defense, Nukes) See my home page)
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To: ETL

In the wilderness, everything is fair game.

Mother Nature does not say, “Awwwwwww...”.


7 posted on 07/03/2017 2:19:35 PM PDT by chris37 (Donald J. Trump, Tom Brady, The Patriots... American Destiny!)
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To: fella

The trouble is we grow up with anthropomorphised animals in popular culture and thus we get the animal rights nuts saying we are all equal species but the food chain rebels against that idea.


8 posted on 07/03/2017 2:22:01 PM PDT by xp38
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To: fella
Is that a turkey caucus on Daffy's table??

Image result for daffy duck eating

9 posted on 07/03/2017 2:22:05 PM PDT by ETL (Obama-Hillary, the REAL Russia-US scandal (UraniumOne Deal, Missile Defense, Nukes) See my home page)
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To: ETL

Stupid scientists haven’t been around ducks or geese much


10 posted on 07/03/2017 2:22:28 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the close)
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To: ETL

carcass!


11 posted on 07/03/2017 2:23:07 PM PDT by ETL (Obama-Hillary, the REAL Russia-US scandal (UraniumOne Deal, Missile Defense, Nukes) See my home page)
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To: ETL

Two fledglings made it out of my courtyard yesterday.

Two Robins spooked by me and lived on the patio furniture until momma got them the courage to get to the roof.

They were funny at first, flying into walls. They relaxed and got their strength. It was neat to watch from a distance.


12 posted on 07/03/2017 2:23:52 PM PDT by eyedigress ((Old storm chaser from the west))
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To: ETL

BFL


13 posted on 07/03/2017 2:24:27 PM PDT by rlmorel (Donald Trump: Making Liberal Heads Explode 140 Characters At A Time.)
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To: ETL

The Squawking Dead

The infection has arrived.


14 posted on 07/03/2017 2:24:29 PM PDT by kaehurowing
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To: ETL

Ducks are carnivores. While they eat plants too. They love bugs, fish, worms, frogs, and any other small things they can grab. Their bills are serrated. So even though they have no actual teeth, those bills can hold prey. And in the ccase of fish they can turn a fish around in their bills so it goes down head first.

Also, ducks are mean. They will attack each other if new ducks arrive at a pond. When one duck wants to dominate another, they will grab a wing shoulder and try to dunk the other duck, holdings head under water. Many times they will gang up on a new duck, attacking him, even killing him if he can’t get away.

This is normal mallard behavior especially in the fall amongst unattached ducks gathering to fly south.


15 posted on 07/03/2017 2:25:54 PM PDT by poinq
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To: poinq

Watch out, they are about to evolve back into T-Rex. All bets are off then.


16 posted on 07/03/2017 2:28:53 PM PDT by Moisey88 (Deja vu all over again: Back in USSR)
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To: ETL

Well if someone saw what chickens do, they might not eat them anymore.

I saw chickens eat frogs, fried chicken scraps and baby chicks, among other things when I was on the farm.


17 posted on 07/03/2017 2:30:26 PM PDT by packrat35 (Pelosi is only on loan to the world from Satan. Hopefully he will soon want his baby killer back)
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To: ETL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3woEDTUbDYg

They’re abusive drill sergeants too.


18 posted on 07/03/2017 2:32:44 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
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To: kaehurowing
When you see one all you can say is
DUCK!
19 posted on 07/03/2017 2:33:53 PM PDT by null and void (This is how socialists work: Erase the past, Bankrupt the present, Steal from the future.)
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To: ETL
As far as scientists can tell, such predatory behavior not involving fish or amphibians has never been seen before. By scientists.
20 posted on 07/03/2017 2:38:52 PM PDT by TigersEye (Investigate the Awan brothers and Wasserman Schultz)
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