(continued from former post)
Hen Mating / Decrescendo Calls The Decrescendo call is used by hens to announce a willingness to pair bond; it may also be used by hens as general conversation. Although breeding doesn't usually occur until spring, the hens use the Decrescendowhen they begin forming pair bonds in the fall. The Decrescendo call sounds just like its Latin name implies; it starts out loud and becomes quieter as the duck runs out of air.
The decrescendo of the hen Mallard is often referred to by hunters as the hail, high ball, or greeting call. It usually consists of four to six notes, with the second note being the loudest and each successive note being softer. But it may be longer; I have heard a hen Mallard string seventeen quacks together while performing the decrescendo. To correctly perform this call the second note should be louder and higher in pitch than the other notes, with each of the following notes becoming softer quack-QUACK-quack-quack-quack-quack. Most callers leave their hand open while performing this call.
The hen Black Duck, Pintail and Shoveler use approximately the same Decrescendo call, and the same pitch as the mallard. The hen Gadwall uses the same but with a higher pitch and a faster sequence. The hen Widgeon uses a qua-awk; with 1 to 3 notes. Blue-Wing Teal and Cinnamon Teal use a high pitched quack with 3 to 4 notes, and the last two notes are usually cut off short.
Hen Agonistic / Incitement Calls
Agonistic calls are named for the fact that the animal is agonizing, or arguing. The Incitement call is used by the hen to get her mate to drive another drake away from her; it is a threat call, with the hen telling another duck that if it doesn't leave her alone it may be attacked by her mate. The Incitement call used by hen puddle ducks is usually an insistent rapid call consisting of several short notes.
The Incitement call of the hen Mallard is referred to as the chuckle or feeding chuckle by hunters. The first time I really began to understand how Mallards used the chuckle was about ten years ago while I was sitting at the small lake near my home feeding geese with my kids; I heard the call and saw a hen mallard feeding with the geese. But, she wasn't feeding she was chasing away a drake mallard. It was quite obvious that the hen was using the chuckle as a form of threat call. I often hear this call in the spring, when two or more drakes are pursuing a hen Mallard in flight.
Although the chuckle is not a feeding call, it does occur in feeding situations, where there are lots of drakes near the hens. In order for the hens to keep from being harassed by single drakes they perform the chuckle (telling other drakes that if they don't stay away they may be attacked by the hen's mate). In order to be able to feed or swim in peace the hens use this call to try to get the drakes to leave them alone. Since ducks often hear the chuckle while they are feeding, or as they approach ducks that are feeding (whether they are on land or water), this call can be used to attract most puddle ducks.
When you use the chuckle to bring in ducks, blow it as it is meant, loud, insistent and aggressive. Do not blow it like a welcome to incoming ducks, or as a pleading call to get other ducks to come down and feed. To imitate the sound of a hen performing this call in flight, cup one or both hands over the end of the call, and rapidly say ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka while you blow into the call. To imitate the sound of a hen performing this call while on land or water I say tuck, tuck-tuck, tuck, tuck, tuck-tuck. I cup both hands over the call, and alternately open the fingers and thumb of the hand that is not holding the call, to create the impression of different sounds coming from different directions.
The hen mallard uses several gagg notes when she is with her mate. When she is not with her mate she will hold her head back on her shoulders and utter several gaeck notes. The hen Black Duck, Gadwall, Shoveler and Widgeon use approximately the same call and pitch as the hen Mallard. The hen Pintail uses a Decrescendo that is not as loud as the hen mallard, with fewer notes; and a softer, more hoarse call, rrrt-rrrt-rrrt. The hen Blue-Winged and Green-Winged Teal use the same call with a higher pitch; the hen Green-winged teal with four notes; the hen Blue -winged Teal uses a one sylable rrrr. The hen Wood Duck uses a high-pitched whistle, wheet-wheet-wheet. The hen Shoveler uses a woh-woh-woh.
Drake Social Contact / Mating Calls
The drake mallard Social Contact and Mating call is simply a deeper more reedy version of the social contact call, usually containing two notes; raeb-raeb. I often hear this call when one or more drakes are pursuing a hen in the air during spring mating flights, and in large flocks in the fall. I also hear it when drakes are just resting on water or land. Be careful when you perform this call, a single note raeb is used as an alarm call. It also uses a high pitched Burp, or whistle; peep.
The drake Black Duck uses the same call as the drake Mallard. The drake Gadwall uses a higher pitched series of grunts and whistles; with the raeb-zee-zee-raeb-raeb with the grunt being the raeb and the whistle being the zee. It also uses a Burp, which is a loud, low grunt uttered with the neck extended, often with the bill pointed toward a female. It also uses a Grunt-Whistle, which is a loud whistle followed by a grunt. The drake Pintail uses a high pitched whistle, geee, and a burp performed with an outstretched neck, kwa-kwa. The drake Blue-Winged Teal uses an unusually high-pitched, nasal whistle, tseeel. The drake Green-Winged Teal uses a two-syllable krick'-et and a zee-zee-zeet'.The drakeWigeon use a high pitched whistle. The drake Shoveler uses a gack'-gack-gack-ga-ga, with the last note or two muffled; or a took'a-took'a-took'a.
I hope this helps some of you this fall.
God bless,
T.R.