Tiny Duck Found A Girlfriend That’s Three Times His Size, And They Are Adorable Together
They say that love is blind, and that goes for humans and animals alike.
Shannon Emmel's favorite duck is the green-winged teal, so when she heard one had taken up residence at Loch Raven Reservoir, she rushed to see it up close. But the tiny duck wasn't alone when she arrived.
He had a girlfriend—a mallard three times his size. He was putting in a lot of effort to keep the bigger ducks away from his sweetheart.
“I found the green-winged teal, who was easy to spot among the mallards because he is so much smaller,” Emmel says. “I found him literally following this one particular mallard all around on the dirt and grass. He followed her everywhere and periodically chased off other mallard males.”
The green-winged teal is one of North America's tiniest ducks, yet this little fellow seems to understand that size doesn't matter. Green-winged teals are quick and agile ducks that court their mates with elaborate dances and vocal displays, considerably more enthusiastically than mallard drakes.
While it's typical for green-winged teals to associate with other green-winged teals and mallards to associate with mallards, Emmel noticed that this star-crossed couple had a special bond that went beyond breed and family.
The new couple in town
“It was the sweetest thing I've seen in a while,” Emmel said. “The green-winged teal truly appeared 100 percent enamored with this mallard, so everywhere she went, he followed.
Eventually, they went into the water, and he stayed very close by. The female mallard seemed perfectly fine with her little suitor,” she added. “It was such a joy to watch.”
The mallard is 20–26 inches long and can weigh 1.5–3.5 lbs.
Emmel isn't the only one who has noticed this unusual pairing. Throughout March, other Maryland bird watchers made special journeys to the reservoir to see the newest star couple.
Crossbreeding isn't unheard of with ducks. A hybrid duck (or goose) is the result of the mating of two different duck (or goose) species.
As a result, distinct traits from the two species are combined. Mallards often mate with other types of ducks.
Pintails, black ducks, wigeons, and teals are all common breeding partners for greenheads. With any luck, these dedicated birds will lay a clutch of eggs this year, resulting in some adorably cute offspring.
The green-winged teal can reach a length of 12.2–15.3 inches and a weight of 4.9–17.6 oz.
It is clear that the difference in size is considerable. But the happy couple doesn't seem to care. All we can say is—good for them
Body positivity campaign coming up...
The mallard is 20–26 inches long and can weigh 1.5–3.5 lbs. On the other hand, the green-winged teal can reach a length of 12.2–15.3 inches and a weight of 4.9–17.6 oz.
It is clear that the difference in size is considerable. But how can you explain that to two ducks in love?
And would they even care? We don't think so.
They look so happy together.
Share this article:
