Our parks have been keeping an eye out for feathered friends to show you what they’re up to this time of year.
Are you ready for the quack-tastic duck finds they made?
1. Who’s who?
The team at Murphys Point Provincial Park has us taking a second glance to tell these two males apart.
Male Hooded Mergansers and Buffleheads can be easy to confuse at first glance – both have striking dark heads with white…
Posted by Murphys Point Provincial Park on Thursday, April 1, 2021
2. The burning (or cooling?) question
Frontenac Provincial Park answers a question that’s been on our minds for a long time: do geese and ducks get cold feet?
Have you ever wondered how geese and ducks can stand on ice without getting cold feet? The trick is they actually do get…
Posted by Frontenac Provincial Park on Wednesday, March 31, 2021
3. Know the duck lingo
“What’s a speculum?”, you might ask. Bonnechere Provincial Park has the answer for you.
In honour of National Wildlife Week, we want to draw your attention to the most familiar species of duck at Bonnechere,…
Posted by Bonnechere Provincial Park on Thursday, April 8, 2021
4. Unexpected places
Did you think ducks were only found in water? Pinery Provincial Park tells us where these Wood Ducks like to call home.
#DYK that Wood Ducks nest in trees? These stunning birds will search for cavities high up in the trees nearby a water source and lay their eggs in the tree cavity. #WoodDuckWednesday
Posted by Pinery Provincial Park on Wednesday, April 7, 2021
5. Flying lessons
Ever seen a duck take flight? There’s a specific name for it when they start from water, and Pinery explains it.
These Common Mergansers are ‘pattering’. This is the term used for the action of waterfowl running across water before…
Posted by Pinery Provincial Park on Wednesday, March 31, 2021
6. Ducks in a penguin suit
Who knew ducks were so formal and included curtsies in their courtships? Turns out, Rondeau Provincial Park did!
Relax and enjoy this beautiful Red Breasted Merganser courtship!
These beautiful courting males salute a female with head held high and then curtsy to the female by tipping up and putting their rear in the air with their bill healed high ! pic.twitter.com/xBua4aC8ZC
— Rondeau Provincial Park (@Rondeau_PP) April 5, 2021
7. Ducks of parks past
Here’s Rondeau again taking us back in time to 1955 when the park had an aviary on-site.
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Have you been out watching ducks this year?
Participate in the Breeding Bird Atlas, share your sightings to iNaturalist, or post your photos and trivia on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.