How To Tell The Difference Between Male And Female Ducks - WikiHow

Skip to ContentQuizzes

• PRO Courses Hot Guides Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade
• QUIZZES All Quizzes Hot Love Quizzes Personality Quizzes Trivia Quizzes Taylor Swift Quizzes
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE About UsRandom ArticleQuizzesRequest a New Article Community DashboardTrendingForums Computers and ElectronicsComputersPhone SkillsTechnology HacksHealthMen's HealthMental HealthWomen's HealthRelationshipsDatingLoveRelationship Issues Hobbies and CraftsCraftsDrawingGamesEducation & CommunicationCommunication SkillsPersonal DevelopmentStudyingPersonal Care and StyleFashionHair CarePersonal Hygiene Quizzes Love Quizzes Personality Quizzes Fun Games Finance and BusinessHome and GardenRelationship QuizzesCars & Other Vehicles Food and EntertainingPersonal Care and StyleSports and FitnessComputers and Electronics HealthPets and AnimalsTravelEducation & Communication Hobbies and CraftsPhilosophy and ReligionWork WorldFamily Life Holidays and TraditionsRelationshipsYouth
• LOG IN

  Log in

  Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. Facebook Google wikiHow Account No account yet? Create an account
• RANDOM

• Home
• Random
• Browse Articles
• TrendingNew
• Quizzes & Games
• All QuizzesHot
• Love Quizzes
• Personality Quizzes
• Fun Games
• Dating Simulator
• Learn Something New
• Forums
• Courses
• Happiness Hub
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow

• Log in / Sign up

Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow

• Categories
• Pets and Animals
• Birds
• Bird Breeds
• Poultry
• Ducks

How to Identify a Male or Female Duck using Appearance and Behavior Download Article Sorting the drakes from the hens in Mallard and other duck species Co-authored by Roger J. Lederer, PhD and Luke Smith, MFA

Last Updated: May 9, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Appearance and Behavior
|
• Examining a Duck's Cloaca
|
• Video
|
• Expert Interview
|
• Tips
|
• Warnings

|Show more |Show less X

This article was co-authored by Roger J. Lederer, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Dr. Roger Lederer is an Ornithologist and the founder of Ornithology.com, an informative website about wild birds. Dr. Lederer has spent over 40 years teaching, studying, and writing about birds. He has traveled to over 100 countries to study birds. Dr. Lederer is an Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences at California State University, Chico, and has been a Department Chair of Biological Sciences and Dean of the College of Natural Sciences. He has written more than 30 research papers and 10 books on birds and a textbook entitled “Ecology and Field Biology.” Dr. Lederer has consulted the BBC, National Geographic, National Public Radio, ABC News, the Guinness Book of World Records, and numerous other organizations and publications. There are 18 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,014,670 times.

Whether you’re spying them through binoculars or pairing them up to brood, sorting the males ducks (or “drakes”) from the females (often called “hens”) takes a little training. While every duck species has its own unique characteristics and traits, there are a few handy tricks that’ll give away most any drake. We’ll fill you in on how to distinguish male and female ducks based on their appearance, behavior, and sexual organs.

Things You Should Know

• Distinguish between a male and female duck by checking the color of their feathers—male ducks are generally more colorful.[1]
• Take a close look at the duck’s bill and tail feathers. Female ducks often have speckled bills, and male ducks often have a curled tail feather.
• Listen for a female duck's hard, loud quack and compare it to the male's much softer quack.
• Examine a domestic duck’s cloaca (reproductive organ). Male ducks have a protruding penis, while female ducks have an oviduct opening.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 2:

Appearance and Behavior

Download Article

1. 1 Observe the color of the duck's feathers.[2] During the mating season (March-July), male ducks generally have very bright coloration in their plumage to attract mates. After mating season, however, the male duck molts, sometimes losing his bright coloration in the process to more closely resemble a female.[3]
   • Mallard ducks are sexually dimorphic, which means the males and females look different from each other. The females are brown and relatively dowdy, whereas the males have a vivid purple sash on the wings and are iridescent colors.
   • The male Canvasback has solid white to light gray plumage. His female counterpart has plumage that is grayish-brown.
   • The male Wood Duck has gray feathers with blue markings on the wings during mating season. The female's plumage is usually grayish-brown.[4]
   • Male and female Mottled Ducks have similarly colored feathers, making it difficult to tell them apart by plumage alone.[5]
2. 2 Observe the color of the duck’s bill. Bill color is another fairly reliable way to tell the difference between male and female ducks while bird watching. Many mature female ducks develop freckles on their bills, while males’ bills remain unspeckled. In many duck species, the bill color does not change during mating season, so this physical characteristic generally stays the same throughout the year.
   • In Mallards, the male duck often has a bright yellow bill and the female has a brown and orange bill.[6]
   • In Mottled Ducks, male ducks have solid-colored, olive-green to yellowish bills.The female's bill is brown or orange with dark splotches.[7]
   • Male Wood Ducks have a red bill that has a patch of yellow at the bottom.[8]
   • During mating season, the bill of the male Ruddy Duck changes to a bright baby blue.[9]
   • Canvasbacks all have black bills, regardless of sex, so the bill isn’t the best way to tell males and females of this species apart.
   Advertisement
3. 3 Compare the duck’s size to nearby ducks. Across species, male ducks tend to be larger than female ducks. In addition to having a larger body size in general, male Mallards, Rouens, and Welsh Harlequins often have larger heads and thicker necks than the females.
4. 4 Look for a curled feather near the tail. Male ducks often have an upwardly curled feather near the tail known as the “sex feather.” This feather, which becomes prominent in male ducks when they are between 2 and 4 months old, remains after molting.[10]
   • Females generally do not have a sex feather, but may sprout a similar, curled feather if there are no nearby male ducks.
   EXPERT TIP

   Roger J. Lederer, PhD

   Ornithologist Dr. Roger Lederer is an Ornithologist and the founder of Ornithology.com, an informative website about wild birds. Dr. Lederer has spent over 40 years teaching, studying, and writing about birds. He has traveled to over 100 countries to study birds. Dr. Lederer is an Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences at California State University, Chico, and has been a Department Chair of Biological Sciences and Dean of the College of Natural Sciences. He has written more than 30 research papers and 10 books on birds and a textbook entitled “Ecology and Field Biology.” Dr. Lederer has consulted the BBC, National Geographic, National Public Radio, ABC News, the Guinness Book of World Records, and numerous other organizations and publications. Roger J. Lederer, PhD Ornithologist

   Compare coloring to distinguish male and female ducks. Male duck species exhibit brighter, flashier feathers meant to attract mates, in contrast to the more cryptic browns and grays of females. Consult field guides to learn exact color variations by species.

5. 5 Listen to a duck's quack. Female ducks tend to have a loud and hard quack. The quack of male ducks is usually soft and rough. These trademark quacks become apparent and distinct when the duck is about 10 weeks old.[11]
   • In Muscovy ducks, the female's quack sounds like a trill or a coo. A male Muscovy will make a quack that's very deep and breathy (sounds like 'huch-uch-uch').
6. 6 Observe the duck’s behavior during mating season. Male ducks are typically laid-back or aloof, but come mating season (roughly March-July), they become unruly and temperamental. During this time, male ducks are either aggressively competing for a mate, or are territorially protecting the mate they already have. If you see a duck harassing other ducks during this period, it’s probably male.[12]
   • Conversely, a duck that is bedding down on a nest or is herding ducklings is most likely female, though these behaviors aren’t exclusive to sex.
Advertisement

Method 2 Method 2 of 2:

Examining a Duck's Cloaca

Download Article

1. 1 Place the duck on their back on a table. Cloacal examination, also known as “venting,” is a method of determining the sex of a duck when breeding waterfowl. It is used in ducks that are sexually monomorphic (having the same external features between males and females), but is also used in ducklings as young as 12 days old. First, catch a domesticated duck. Then:[13]
   • Position it on a table so that its breast is facing up and its legs are facing away from you. The tail should drape over the edge of the table so that it can be bent down to examine the cloaca.
   • If you do not have a solid surface on which you can lay the duck, kneel and lay the duck on your leg so that its tail can be bent over your knee.
   • Venting can be a difficult procedure to perform; if you are not comfortable doing it yourself, ask someone who is more experienced to do it for you. Venting is even more difficult in ducklings than adult ducks.
2. 2 Identify the cloaca just below the base of the tail. The cloaca is a small external opening near the duck's rear. A duck's genital and reproductive tracts end at the cloaca. Use your fingers to gently search among the feathers to locate this external opening.[14]
3. 3 Expose the cloacal walls and genitals with your fingers. To do this, use your index fingers to fold down the tail and apply opposite, upward pressure on the other side of the tail with your middle and ring fingers. Next, place your thumbs on both sides of the cloaca and slowly move your thumbs away from each other.[15]
   • Use gentle pressure while attempting to expose the cloacal walls and genitals. Too much pressure can cause serious injury to the duck.
   • An alternative approach to exposing the cloacal walls and genitals is to insert your finger about one centimeter into the cloaca and move your finger in a circular motion to relax the sphincter that keeps the cloaca closed, then use your thumbs to ease the cloacal walls apart.[16]
4. 4 Identify the reproductive organs within the cloaca. By exposing the cloacal walls and genitals, you’ll be able to determine whether the duck is male or female. The duck is a male if a penis protrudes from the cloaca. A female duck will have an oviduct opening in the cloaca that more closely resembles a series of folds.[17]
   • In male ducks, the penis will be small and unsheathed (uncovered) in immature ducks and large and sheathed in adults.
Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search Add New Question Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement

Video

Tips

• Both male and female Mallards have a patch in their wings called a “speculum” that is blue with a white border.[18] Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Some female ducks, such as the South American duck species, have the same coloration as their male counterparts.[19] Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• A duck's coloring often changes as it ages from a duckling to an adult, so using color to determine a duck's sex is easier to do when the duck is fully mature. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1

Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

• Do not attempt to vent a wild duck—wild animals in general are best left unhandled, at the risk of injury to yourself or the animal. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 2
• Venting should not be done in ducks who are only a day-old or are newly hatched. If done incorrectly, venting can cause serious injury or death in ducks that are this young.[20] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Advertisement

You Might Also Like

3 Ways to Tell If a Duckling Is Male or Female How toDetermine Sex of a Quail Female vs Male Turkeys: How to Tell a Young Turkey’s Gender How toTell the Sex of Guinea Fowl How toTell If a Turtle Is Male or Female How toTell if a Cockatiel Is Male or Female How to Tell if a Chicken is Male or Female: Easy Tips and Tricks How toSex Rhode Island Red Chicks How toDraw Ducks How toKnow if a Canary Is Male or Female How to Accurately Sex a Rabbit How to Tell the Difference Between Male and Female Robins How to Breed Ducks How toTell the Sex of a Newborn Calf Advertisement

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about birds, check out our in-depth interview with Roger J. Lederer, PhD.

References

1. ↑ Roger J. Lederer, PhD. Ornithologist. Expert Interview
2. ↑ Roger J. Lederer, PhD. Ornithologist. Expert Interview
3. ↑ https://www.peta.org/features/facts-about-ducks/
4. ↑ https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Birds/Wood-Duck
5. ↑ https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/mottled-duck
6. ↑ https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/mallard
7. ↑ https://txtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/mottled-duck/
8. ↑ https://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Aix_sponsa/
9. ↑ https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/ruddy-duck

More References (11)

10. ↑ https://www.peta.org/features/facts-about-ducks/
11. ↑ https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/martea1/cur/sounds
12. ↑ https://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-research-science/understanding-waterfowl-drakes-and-ganders
13. ↑ https://www.fao.org/3/y4359e/y4359e07.htm
14. ↑ https://opensanctuary.org/how-to-conduct-a-duck-health-examination/?print=print
15. ↑ https://www.vet.cornell.edu/animal-health-diagnostic-center/programs/duck-research-laboratory/about-duck-research-laboratory
16. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2871948/
17. ↑ https://science.rspca.org.uk/documents/d/science/rspca-welfare-standards-for-domestic-and-common-ducks
18. ↑ https://www.massaudubon.org/nature-wildlife/birds/mallards
19. ↑ https://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/domducks.htm
20. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1055937X00800122

About This Article

Co-authored by: Roger J. Lederer, PhD Ornithologist This article was co-authored by Roger J. Lederer, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Luke Smith, MFA. Dr. Roger Lederer is an Ornithologist and the founder of Ornithology.com, an informative website about wild birds. Dr. Lederer has spent over 40 years teaching, studying, and writing about birds. He has traveled to over 100 countries to study birds. Dr. Lederer is an Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences at California State University, Chico, and has been a Department Chair of Biological Sciences and Dean of the College of Natural Sciences. He has written more than 30 research papers and 10 books on birds and a textbook entitled “Ecology and Field Biology.” Dr. Lederer has consulted the BBC, National Geographic, National Public Radio, ABC News, the Guinness Book of World Records, and numerous other organizations and publications. This article has been viewed 1,014,670 times. 11 votes - 64% Co-authors: 26 Updated: May 9, 2025 Views: 1,014,670 Categories: Ducks Article SummaryX

To tell the difference between male and female ducks, look at the duck’s feathers during mating season since male ducks will have very bright coloration to attract mates. Another way to tell the difference between male and female ducks is bill color. For example, in Mallards the male has a bright yellow bill and the female has a brown and orange bill. Male ducks also tend to be larger than females and typically have a curled feather near the tail. To tell a male from a female duckling, look to see if an oviduct opening or a penis is visible from the cloaca. To learn more from our Veterinarian co-author, like how to tell a duck's sex by the noise it makes, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

In other languages Spanish Italian Portuguese Russian German French Dutch Arabic Indonesian Vietnamese Chinese Thai Persian Japanese Czech

• Print
• Send fan mail to authors

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,014,670 times.

Reader Success Stories

• 

  Kath Blakemore

  Apr 17, 2020

  "Inherited Francis Drake at about two weeks. This article endorsed the care that I wanted him to have and the..." more

More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Roger J. Lederer, PhD Ornithologist 11 votes - 64% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 26 Updated: May 9, 2025 Views: 1,014,670

Kath Blakemore

Apr 17, 2020

"Inherited Francis Drake at about two weeks. This article endorsed the care that I wanted him to have and the..." more

E. Oaktree

Sep 12, 2016

"The photos and simple explanation in this article assisted me with identifying the sex of ducks during my nature..." more

Anonymous

Jul 9, 2018

"I bought four small ducks of only one week old. When they grew I thought that I had 3 females and 1 male, but this..." more

Anonymous

Aug 6, 2016

"How to tell the difference between a male and female duck is helpful. Learning about their reproduction organs is..." more

Anonymous

Aug 14, 2018

"I learned not to feed ducks bread. I tapped on my window because I was gonna feed them rice, and they came running..." more Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

Quizzes & Games

Guess the Animal Photo QuizTake QuizWhat Bird Am I QuizTake QuizWhat Will the Sex of My Baby Be QuizTake QuizAnimal Riddle QuizTake QuizFinish the Phrase QuizTake QuizHow Well Can I Read Dog Body Language QuizTake Quiz

You Might Also Like

3 Ways to Tell If a Duckling Is Male or FemaleHow toDetermine Sex of a QuailFemale vs Male Turkeys: How to Tell a Young Turkey’s GenderHow toTell the Sex of Guinea Fowl

Featured Articles

How toRemove Shorts from Search Results on YouTubeWhat Are the Korean Animal Face Types? (And Which Type Do You Have?)Being the Little Spoon While Cuddling: Is It Better Than the Big Spoon?115+ Funny “Get Well Soon” Messages to Make Someone Laugh110+ “Fun Facts” for Interviews, Introductions, & IcebreakersHow Long Would You Survive In A Zombie Apocalypse?

Trending Articles

Am I Chopped QuizCrush Calculator: Does Your Crush Like You Back?What Does “Eat Zucchini” From KATSEYE Mean?How Rare Is My Birthday QuizAm I a Pick Me Girl QuizWhat Is the I Found a Leaf Relationship Test on TikTok?

Featured Articles

How to Roast Someone in a Rap Battle (Plus the Best Bars of All Time)What Turns a Girl On? 31 Things to Try on Your PartnerLove AnalyzerSending Your Sweetie a Love Note? Here are 200+ Romantic IdeasHow toExercise Your BrainHow toBe a Fun Person to Hang out With

Featured Articles

What Does Your Morning Routine Say About You?How toDevelop Productive HabitsHow toPractice Self CareWhat Song Matches Your Life Right Now?Will 2026 Be Your Year? Reveal Your FutureUnderstanding the Most Attractive Face Shapes (& Determining Your Own)

Watch Articles

How toIron PantsHow toCut LimesHow to Make Your Own Comforting Cinnamon TeaHow toDraw 3D ShapesHow toMake a Sugar ScrubHow to Wear a Scarf: 19 Different Styles

Trending Articles

Rank My Attractiveness QuizChildhood Trauma TestAm I Neurotypical or Neurodivergent QuizGuess My Deepest Secret QuizWhat's My Personality Based on My Song Choices QuizGuess My Age Quiz

Quizzes & Games

How Gay Am I QuizTake QuizInk Blot TestTake QuizIQ Test For KidsTake QuizWhat's Your DOPE Bird Personality?Analyze MeAm I Smart QuizTake QuizGuess My Eye Color QuizTake Quiz

• Categories
• Pets and Animals
• Birds
• Bird Breeds
• Poultry
• Ducks

wikiHow Newsletter You're all set! Helpful how-tos delivered toyour inbox every week! Sign me up! By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy.

• Home
• About wikiHow
• Experts
• Jobs
• Contact Us
• Site Map
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info
• Contribute

Follow Us

×

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

Subscribe You're all set! X --775