Martin,

Thanks so very much for this detailed explanation of the Mallard
behavior I videotaped at Nisqually. This is not the first time you've
greatly expanded my knowledge. I think the first was an email
exchange we had years ago about Pied-billed Grebe behavior, from
which your detailed description of your research on PBGR's led me to
do a complete camou job on my kayak.

I reviewed the source video of the Mallards, but for some reason the
male at the upper right decided enough was enough, and the routine
ended with the tail-shake and no head shake.

Marc Hoffman
Kirkland, WA

At 11:18 PM 10/18/2011, Martin Muller wrote:

>Marc's video (Mallards Partying at Nisquallly) beautifully
>illustrates a series of "comfort movements." Normal behavior
>associated with feather care and hygiene.
>
>In a 1965 landmark paper tilted: The Comfort Movements of Anatidae
>(Behavior 25: 120-220) F. McKinney summarized and standardized many
>previously published descriptions as well as his own observations of
>the various behaviors associated with body and plumage care in
>waterfowl, as well as the stylized displays that may be derived from
>these behaviors.
>
>I highly recommend this paper. You'll never look at birds in the
>same way again!
>
>One of my favorite tricks during field trips is to predict some of
>the highly ritualized behaviors in flocks of ducks a split second
>before they happen. It's through reading papers like McKinney's that
>I've gained these powers of apparent clairvoyance. It's easy to do,
>especially when dealing with highly "contagious" behaviors like the
>ones Marc shows here.
>
>
>
>If you look at Marc's video, initially you see some mallards
>foraging (including the dabbling = tipping into vertical position
>with head submerged, for which we call them dabbling ducks).
>
>At 0:22 two male Mallards almost simultaneously start
>head-scratching, which is a cleaning movement. Note that Mallards
>use the "direct" scratching over the closed wing. There is also the
>"indirect" method in which the wing is partially opened and lowered,
>and the leg is brought forward over the wing to scratch the head
>(the Yellow-rumped Warbler is an example of the many species of
>birds that uses the indirect method). Species use either one or the
>other method.
>
>At 0:27 after the two are done scratching their heads (one resumes
>feeding/dabbling, the other preens) another male starts scratching
>(higher, left). At 0:30 he transitions into bathing, specifically
>head-dipping followed by wing-thrashing.
>
>At 0:33 while the head-dipping continues, a second (right lower
>corner) does a single wing-thrashing and immediately goes into
>dashing-and-diving. This highly contagious behavior sets off the
>other birds. Afterwards, when calm returns, you can see one male
>(upper right) perform a wing-flap, followed by a tail-shake as the
>video fades out. Very likely a head-shake would have concluded that
>birds' routine (maybe Marc can check his original footage for that?).
>
>It looks like pandemonium, but actually it's all part of the birds'
>daily routine of keeping their plumage in optimal condition. It is
>often done in flocks, but can also be performed by single birds.
>
>One other behavior that is often part of the shown repertoire is
>somersaulting. You will recognize it when you see it.
>
>For a slow-motion version of all of this just watch a flock of Canada Geese.
>
>
>Martin Muller, Seattle
><mailto:martimmuller at msn.com>martimmuller at msn.com
>
>>
>>From: Marc Hoffman
>><<mailto:tweeters at dartfrogmedia.com>tweeters at dartfrogmedia.com>
>>Date: October 17, 2011 6:24:03 PM PDT
>>To: <mailto:tweeters at u.washington.edu>tweeters at u.washington.edu
>>Subject: [Tweeters] Frisky Mallard Behavior: WHY???
>>
>>
>>Sunday Tina Blade and I visited Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
>>for several hours in the afternoon. We watched some very frisky
>>Mallards splashing around the main pond and wondered what the story
>>was: is this courtship, grooming, just plain fun, or what?
>>
>>Here's a link to a short video of the behavior:
>>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSIrN7SzScI&hd=1
>>
>>You can hear hunters shooting in the background, but really I could
>>find no reason to suspect the birds were being startled.
>>
>>Marc Hoffman
>>Kirkland, WA
>>http://www.dartfrogmedia.com/photography
>>mailto: tweeters at dartfrogmedia dot com
>
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