Ive never seen this before..and I didnt know they were divers. I live in the Great Lakes area of USA
2006-11-21 07:22:43 · 12 answers · asked by Studmuffin 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
It id DEFINATELY mallard ducks. I was 15 ft away.....this is interesting
2006-11-21 08:19:22 · update #1
I had some mallards once.... they did that. They didn't stay down there long, but they did dive and swim underwater.
2006-11-21 07:26:28 · answer #1 · answered by chica1012 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I've seen it -- and obviously so have others:
"In early July 1997, while visiting Silver Bay, New York on Lake George I observed a young brood of Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) exhibiting some unusual behavior. The birds were repeatedly diving and retreiving some type of mollusk from the bottom of the Silver Bay Association boat marina. I recorded my observations over several days, but did not have sufficient information to make an accurate report of the incident.
Upon returning to Silver Bay in early July 1998, two broods of Mallard ducks were observed in the Silver Bay boat marina exhibiting the same behavior that was noted the year before. More observations were recorded and mollusk specimens were collected and identified. "
And not to impugn your birding abilities, but exactly how sure are you that they are mallards. From far away, the Common Goldeneye can also look a bit like a mallard with its greenish head.
http://www.avianweb.com/images/birds/Ducks/commongoldeneye2.jpg
But, as I said, I HAVE seen it and from VERY close up.
2006-11-21 08:00:09 · answer #2 · answered by Yahzmin ♥♥ 4ever 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Mallards Swimming
2016-12-13 05:16:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you've been watching ducks for the past several weeks you have WAY too much time on your hands., Seriously, though, yes the mallard (and other species as well) do dive and hunt underwater, swimming as they do, but not for very great distances.
2006-11-21 09:10:45 · answer #4 · answered by JIMBO 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes its normal, my grandpa use to have mallard ducks and a pond...the do this looking for food...but they dont really swim underwater, they kind of dive under and they force from the dive kind of gets them from one point to the other
2006-11-21 07:31:33 · answer #5 · answered by bshelby2121 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I wonder if some of their diving is not a part of their grooming. In a duck pond here, the ducks periodically will go into grooming frenzies where they peck away at themselves then suddenly dive underwater. Looks to me like they have a bad case of bugs and are trying to peck and wash them out.
2014-09-05 11:01:54 · answer #6 · answered by Carlo 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most ducks dive under water, not all swim under water but it's a way for them to look for food and cool off.
2006-11-21 07:25:37 · answer #7 · answered by javabug61 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Are you sure they're mallards, as mallards hardly ever do more than duck their heads under water.
2006-11-21 07:25:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
They do not usually dive below the surface, except that young birds or molting (flightless) adults sometimes dive to avoid danger.
2006-11-21 07:27:47 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
nicely i think of the two the duck makes use of its wing or basically adjustments the attitude of the place it pushes the water to paddle... :D as nicely, its centre of weight does no longer substitute maintaining it resting perpendicularly on the water floor, so it would be waiting to paddle from side to side fairly.
2016-12-10 13:11:23 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋