Talk:Mallard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
Mallard is part of WikiProject Birds, an attempt at creating a standardized, informative and easy-to-use ornithological resource. If you would like to participate, visit the project page. Please do not substitute this template. |
| Start | This article has been rated as Start-Class on the quality scale. |
| Mid | This article has been rated as mid-importance on the importance scale. |
|
WikiProject Birds To-do:
|
|
 |
Mallard is included in the 2006 Wikipedia CD Selection, or is a candidate for inclusion in the next version. Please maintain high quality standards and, if possible, stick to GFDL-compatible images. |
Contents |
[edit] Breeding Description
Shouldn't the section on breeding habits have a little more detail about the "normal" breeding habits of mallards? Neutrality would seem to require that all of the more interesting and usual stuff be placed in some sort of perspective.
What's with this breeding description? It belongs in some topic like animal sexuality and not in an encyclopedic description of a bird. It's one thing to have a short sentence on it's unusual sex habits but entirely another to explicitly and repeatedly describe them. It's definitely out of balance and not a neutral point of view. TimWhitehouse 05:36, 14 December 2005 (UTC)
- I've tried to make this section more balanced and anthropomorphic. "Rape" is inappropriate for an animal that is simply responding to instinct. If the person who is so keen on this bit is unhappy, perhaps the suggestion of moving it to a topic such as suggested above is appropriate.
- jimfbleak 16:39, 14 December 2005 (UTC)
- Rather than delete sections like this, we normally move them to the talk page until someone can make use of them.
- Section moved from main article
- Mallards are among the very few animals that practice forcible rape. When they pair off with mating partners, often one or several drakes will end up "left out". This group will sometimes target an isolated female duck — pestering and pecking at her until she weakens (a phenomenon referred to by researchers as attempted rape flight), at which point each male will take turns raping the female.
- As of 2005, a Dutch researcher, Kees Moeliker, has won an Ig Nobel prize for his paper on ‘homosexual necrophilia in the Mallard Anas platyrhynchos’. "Rape is a normal reproductive strategy in Mallards," explains Mr Moeliker. He recounts in his paper that he heard the bang of a duck hitting a window outside his office in the Natuurmuseum Rotterdam: "I went downstairs immediately to see if the window was damaged, and saw a drake mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) lying motionless on its belly in the sand, two metres outside the facade. The unfortunate duck apparently had hit the building in full flight at a height of about three metres from the ground. Next to the obviously dead duck, another male Mallard (in full adult plumage without any visible traces of moult) was present. He forcibly picked into the back, the base of the bill and mostly into the back of the head of the dead Mallard for about two minutes, then mounted the corpse and started to copulate, with great force, almost continuously picking the side of the head."
- By the way, judging from the quotes, it looks like this story in the Guardian may have been the source for much of this information. -- Solipsist 18:20, 14 December 2005 (UTC)
- Ok there is now just one mention of the term "rape flight". If you can rape the land you can rape a duck. It's a pretty flexible word.--Gbleem 20:07, 14 December 2005 (UTC)
- I should say that the only google source I could find for "rape flight" was the Moeliker paper or items pointing to it. Is it a real term used by ornathologists? --Gbleem 20:19, 14 December 2005 (UTC)
- Much improved. By the way there is an article on Animal sexuality and a section on birds where perhaps the above cut out section could go if someone were inclined to do that. TimWhitehouse 00:33, 15 December 2005 (UTC).
[edit] Ducklings
We've recently got a large increase in the number of duckling pictures. However although the yellow one is cute, is it actually a Mallard? Again in the 59 day juvenile picture, there is one duck which doesn't look much like a Mallard (or is that what makes it a Dutch Mallard). I imagine they are all from the same brood, so could this one be a cross. -- Solipsist 12:04, 23 July 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Greenland Mallard
This form is not generally recognised as a separate species from the nominate race, either in Wildfowl or Handbook of the birds of the world. the only difference is size, which varies clinally. I propose changing the text to reflect this, but invite comments first. jimfbleak 16:27, 5 October 2005 (UTC)
Is there a sub-species that can be cited here? Wonko the Sane 19:57, 9 March 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Use as food
Should the fact that mallards are eaten as game be mentioned? 143.252.80.100 21:13, 8 November 2006 (UTC)
- Yes I would have thought so. Be bold, especially if you have a reference. However, we wouldn't want to imply that Mallards are a commonly eaten duck these days. In the UK at least, I think most duck meat sold in the shops is from domesticated Aylesbury ducks. -- Solipsist 21:37, 8 November 2006 (UTC)
- I agree with the above, but wild Mallard can sometimes be obtained from specialist game outlets, although Teal, a better sporting bird, is more common. jimfbleak 06:54, 9 November 2006 (UTC)
- Certainly you can buy wild mallard at Waitrose, a major UK supermarket - see http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/recipes/glossary/foodglossary/Wildmallard.asp I've eaten them, although not from a supermarket. I'll add a bit in the article. 143.252.80.100 12:08, 9 November 2006 (UTC)
- No,this is about the bird,not duck hunting.--70.165.71.229 23:22, 24 January 2007 (UTC)
- I agree with the above, but wild Mallard can sometimes be obtained from specialist game outlets, although Teal, a better sporting bird, is more common. jimfbleak 06:54, 9 November 2006 (UTC)
