A Tiny Duck with a Three-Times-His-Size Girlfriend
Shannon Emmel enjoys birding and has a favorite green-winged teal. The birder took advantage of the fact that one lived near Loch Raven Reservoir. A mallard three times his size was his girlfriend when she arrived at the reservoir, and he did his best to keep other large ducks away from his beloved.
He found the green-winged teal, which is easy to recognize among the mallards due to its smaller size. I noticed him following a mallard around on the dirt and grass. He followed her around and pursued other mallard males. “
The green-winged teal is one of North America’s smallest ducks, yet it has learned that size doesn’t matter. Acrobatic green teals court their mates with vocal displays and intricate dances. But not with mallard drakes, who prefer a more relaxed approach.
As with other animals, mallards and green-winged teal tend to stick together. This isn’t true, though. Birder Emmel found that these lovers had more in common than just family or breed.
“It was the cutest thing I’ve seen in a while,” Emmel adds. The green-teal was clearly smitten with this mallard, and he followed her around. They got into the water, and he kept near by. “( She adds, “The female mallard looked completely comfortable with her young suitor.” Such fun to watch. “
This unusual duo attracted the attention of birder Shannon Emmel. Throughout March, other Maryland birders made the extra trip to witness the reservoir’s star couple.
Crossbreeding amongst ducks is quite unusual. Hopefully, these birds will lay a lot of eggs, which will make some beautiful babies.
