Today, I witnessed a duck commit rape and adultery all at once.

[nytemare]

I was feeding bread to a female mallard, then young man mallard and his girl came walking up. So, I threw some bread to them. Then, young male mallard chased first female mallard around for a long time and then raped her.

While all the quacking was going on, I was feeding girlfriend mallard, who was looking pretty pissed. After the act was overwith, I went over and fed the victim duck, and rapist duck slinked of to his girlfriend like nothing happened.

Even ducks are assholes around here.

[TZ]

1. Actually that's pretty common behavior in ducks

I studied animal behavior in college and did some study on animals that have rape as a mating strategy. Happens quite a bit.
Humans do not have the monopoly on bad behavior.

[nytemare]

7. That is pretty interesting.

The ducks are pretty neat, and will come right up to you. They are quite beautiful birds.

I just thought their behavior was amusing.

:hi:

[Iris]

103. yes, even dolphins

I read recently that they commit gang rape.

[Political Heretic]

27. Serious question from an ignorant dumbass

how can you distinguish rape from anything else in animals? Is it even accurate to characterize it as rape?

I love my cat, but other than that, not very "up" on animal life.

[democracyindanger]

28. If you've seen it

you'd be hard pressed to describe it as anything but rape.

I lived for three years next to a duck pond in college. Every spring, same thing.

[TZ]

37. Its VERY obvious

Ducks have a intricute ritual that happens before regular monogamous mating. Rape happens when the males (usually young bachelors-the actual term) simple fly in and mate.

[Cabcere]

38. Totally off-topic

but your sig line is brilliant. :rofl: :banghead: :hi:

[Name removed]

87. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[graywarrior]

2. Take that back!!!!

[seemunkee]

3. But bondage is OK?

[graywarrior]

4. .

:hurts:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. I didn't think ducks are monogamous!

And it is spring...

Time for breeding!

:shrug:

[nytemare]

8. I suppose they aren't.

Unlike their penguin cousins.

:)

[Zuiderelle]

6. Rape jokes are hi-larious.

:eyes:

[nytemare]

9. Did I say rape was hilarious?

I was talking about animals and their interesting behavior. Nowhere do I infer in that that rape of a human being is a joking matter.

:shrug:

[Zuiderelle]

10. A duck does not rape another duck. That's called mating.

Anthropomorphizing a duck with the word "rape" is simply offensive to any human who has been raped. And any humane person in general really.

[TZ]

12. no rape happens in ducks

and in other birds. I once read a scientific paper called "Rape as a mating strategy".
So now posting acutal scientific fact is offensive? Sheesh...I am a zoology major, I know this stuff.
Rape,monogamy.polygamy, polyandry, incest...all that behavior happens in the animal kingdom.

[Zuiderelle]

14. And saying that rape is adultery is also offensive.

You have your opinion, I have mine. I read the word rape, in a joking thread, and I'm offended.

And now this thread will be invisible. :hi:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

15. just because a paper is titled rape by a zoologist doesn't mean that rape has occurred

i agree with you

[XemaSab]

19. Trust me

I have seen flocks of like, 10 drakes all jumping on one hen while she's FRANTICALLY trying to get away and I've seen hens that have been KILLED because there are so many drakes on them at once that they DROWN.

It's totally rape.

Rape is rare in the bird world, but in ducks it happens.

[pitohui]

22. xemasab is correct

mallards in particular are notorious for rape, including gang rape of several males piling on one female -- to the point where the female is put in danger because she is pushed under water and, as posted above, is actually at risk of drowning

everyone who has spent time watching them has observed this

i have not seen an actual drowning but i've seen some pretty brutal looking attacks that i think the female was lucky to survive

[XemaSab]

23. pitohui is the voice of wisdom here.

Anyone named after a poisonous bird has to be respected. :D

[nytemare]

24. This was on the ground, but that pretty much describes what happened

She was trying to run away from him, and he kept chasing and pecking at her, and held her neck with his beak.

[BarenakedLady]

32. That's so sad.

:(

[EstimatedProphet]

34. Ducks are only monogamous within a specific mating period

If you're a zoology major you should know that. The OP made an assumption that the first pair of ducks were a mating pair, so therefore the male going after another female becomes "rape".

[TZ]

39. No. Young males (or bachelors)

who have no chance at a seasonal monogamous relationship use rape as a mating strategy. HOWEVER it is sometimes possible that a female duck will mate with multiple males and have one of the males help with all the eggs.
Rape is a fact of life in mallard ducks (ans some other water fowl too). I minored in animal behavior. This is an established fact. Its very likely she saw a "rape" alhough its possible the other duck wasn't necessarily the males season mate.

[Elidor]

16. Ah, we didn't realize you had a degree in biology

When they pair off with mating partners, often one or several drakes will end up "left out". This group will sometimes target an isolated female duck — chasing, pestering and pecking at her until she weakens (a phenomenon referred to by researchers as rape flight), at which point each male will take turns copulating with the female. Male Mallards will also occasionally chase other males in the same way. (In one documented case, a male Mallard copulated with another male he was chasing after it had been killed when it flew into a glass window.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallard

You know what's offensive? Born-again sockpuppets who won't stay banned.

[XemaSab]

17. Ducks totally rape other ducks

They'll kill each other. It's violent.

[Zuiderelle]

20. I guess others don't see how offensive it is to describe the "rapist" ducks as adulterers and

"assholes" as if rapists are simply assholes, or adulterers. It's a fucking JOKE thread. It's not a zoological thread talking about how ducks force other ducks to mate, or rape, as you wish. It's all said with humor as if it's hilariously entertaining. Maybe it's interesting to see the mating habits of ducks, but to use "rape" and "adultery" and "asshole," one is ANTHROPOMORPHIZING the ducks and therefore comparing their mating habits, whether intentionally or not, to human rape. Rapists are not adulterers or assholes. They are criminals.

Ducks don't rape, they mate. They aren't assholes and they aren't adulterers.

[TZ]

50. Be sure never to study ethology (animal behavior)

With your sensitivities you'd be offended by just about every scientific paper you read.
And no, this was not posted as a joke. It was a commentary on a behavior (that is 100% natural, just like homosexual behavior in the animal kindgom is) that someone did not know about.
Yes, lets just ignore scientific and accuracy in order to be politically correct.
:sarcasm:
See the scientific paper below. Mallards do rape..Its also called "force copulation"

[Zuiderelle]

60. Rape, adultery, young man mallard and his girl, girlfriend mallard, victim and rapist

rapist slinking to his girlfriend, even ducks are assholes. All those are quotes from the OP. Someone please tell me how this is not comparing this natural mating behavior of ducks to humans?

Girlfriend? Victim and rapist? Assholes?

No, you and others would prefer to just jump on me rather than understand how offensive this is. Or respect my feelings even. Or the feelings of dozens of women here who know first-hand what it is to be raped.

Fuck your scientific papers and your misplaced condescension and sarcasm. It's not about being politically correct, it's about trying to be sensitive to women who have been raped. I am fortunately not one of them, and judging by your petulant insensitivity, you are not either. But I know there are many here.

Yes, I'm sensitive. I'm sensitive to the feelings of women who have been brutalized by men through rape.

Fine, mallards rape. Call it whatever you want. But calling them boyfriends and girlfriends and adulterers and assholes is attributing to them human characteristics, and that's when I object.

[skygazer]

63. I am one of them and while I grant you the right to be offended, I still find it absurd

Yes, I have been through rape. No, I am not offended by a thread about some fucking DUCKS for gods sake and what the OP saw them doing.

I have seen the same thing - I have raised ducks, geese and chickens and ducks and geese are notorious for this behavior. It is forcible intercourse - "rape" is a lot quicker to type and conveys what is going on nicely.

As for the whole "young man," "girl," "girlfriend" thing, please give me a fucking break already. If you are going to get offended every time anyone tries to tell a story using words anyone can understand and relate to, you may want to consider holing up somewhere and never interacting with anyone.

Christ, I cannot believe this fucking place sometimes. :banghead:

[Zuiderelle]

64. Ah, I see, "rape" is easier to type.

Ok.

[skygazer]

65. It must be exhausting going around actively looking for things to get offended by

I admire your dedication.

[Zuiderelle]

66. It must be exhausting going around insulting people who are offended

by something and refusing to understand why. Have a wonderful day.

[WildEyedLiberal]

71. Wow, way to show sympathy to someone who has been through rape

Isn't that what you were supposedly outraged about in the first place? The insensitivity to rape victims? And then you dismiss a real life one because she doesn't agree with your tantrum?

I don't think you're concerned about actual rape victims so much as you are with being seen as some kind of uber-PC arbiter of what is and is not "offensive."

[Reterr]

72. You make an excellent point

My general impression is that people who come into a thread like this (that clearly is meant to be completely inoffensive) and go off guns blazing on someone for no reason, are probably not interested in discourse on the topic or conveying real hurt :shrug:.
At least why not try to discuss these things instead of assum,ing the people you are talking to are necessarily insensitive sexist bigots or whatever?

[Zuiderelle]

76. God, I love this place.

[Zuiderelle]

75. I'm glad that she's not offended by this thread.

That's a really good thing.

[WildEyedLiberal]

86. Because you know - more than actual people who've been through it - what really offends rape victims

I'm glad you "really" know what offends rape victims, despite what any of them actually say.

[Zuiderelle]

89. I don't know what actually offends rape victims.

But I was sexually molested as a child, so maybe that qualifies me a little bit.

It's clear to me that very few here share my opinion. My apologies to everyone who's not offended by this and to anyone who's annoyed by my comments.

[nytemare]

25. So, I suppose I am inhumane?

Let me repeat, I in NO WAY find the act of human rape to be funny. I did not in any way intend for my description of an act between ducks to be taken as offensive, or to have that description deciphered to mean that I am inhumane, or have callous feelings toward human victims of rape. I felt bad for the duck, so I think I feel a little more when I hear of a human rape.

My heart goes out to any victim of rape, especially child victims, you have no idea how much, and to make a straw man argument that I am inhumane based on a description of animals action is unwarranted

To anyone who took my account as offensive, I honestly apologize, as it was surely not my intention to offend anybody.

[DS1]

106. don't be so apologetic

someone came in here flinging shit and looking for a fight. that's all it is. there was no 'humor' at all in your thread, but they chose to inject a perception of it into the thread just to cause a ruckus.

[FloridaJudy]

11. The sex life of ducks is a wonder

Next to limpets, ducks are the best-hung of any species:

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/enviro/EnviroRepublish_366856.htm

And face it: saying "humongous duck dong" is a lot of fun at parties.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

13. sorry but i find this less than funny. ducks dont rape. they breed. the consequences are not the

same since the culture, psychology, conscientiousness of ducks and humans are not the same.

[XemaSab]

21. Typically male and female ducks pair off in the fall

and breed the following spring.

The drake will chase away other males from the female, and the female will willingly copulate with her partner.

If something happens to the female duck's mate, then she is fair game for every unpaired drake in the neighborhood. They'll hound her mercilessly and even kill her in their aggression.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP1pQ6-0rbo

[La Lioness Priyanka]

43. rape is not just forced sex. rape has psychosocial connotations that are beyond a ducks

understanding of sex, social norm and mores.

ducks cannot rape.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

67. This is all light hearted

nobody is really meaning ducks rape each other like humans do. I have 19 mallards and when we talk about them we talk about them in human terms because it's easier I guess. But like I said in another post all our ducks are different. We have two ducks who are really horrible, they are bad ducks. They were bad as ducklings too. I sometimes really think what these two horrid ducks do has little to do with natural breeding. Anyway don't take it all to heart.

[Mike03]

18. I've seen that too. My (ex) wife and I were enjoying an arboretum in

Southern California when we saw this same phenomenon. It was very embarrassing (at least to me) the first time I saw it.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

26. I have a flock of mallards

They feed, fly, fight and fuck. Not much of anything else. They rape each other all day long and have a lot of incest. We've locked the hens up away from the drakes but a few hens have been missing for days. So that means they are sitting on eggs somewhere. I already have 19 ducks. I wish I could get them fixed. They fly around but never leave. They couldn't survive in the wild anyway because they couldn't find sacks of duck chow out there.

[nytemare]

36. Maybe I should buy some duck chow.

I was feeding them bread. Other than the incedent I described, they are really pretty sweet. They were walking right up to me. After that happened, I was just feeding the poor female duck. I didn't want to reward the male duck for that behavior, even though he probably couldn't tell the difference.

[sarge43]

29. Male mallards are worse than assholes

Once I saw five gang rape and nearly drown one female. She was at the water line and these five charge her, pile on and kept her under water while they did the thing.

[I Have A Dream]

31. I've even read that groups of males will act together to bring down a female...

who starts to fly away to escape. (They will work in concert to force her back to the ground.)

It truly is horrifying. I don't care if they're not human, it's still forced, brutal sex and, therefore, rape.

I'm a vegetarian, but I have no problem with the thought of male ducks being eaten. x( (Every time my husband orders duck for a meal, I hope that it's a male.) I don't feel this way about any other male animals. This way of acting seems to be the rule rather than the exception with male ducks.

[sarge43]

35. On the other, a pair hangs out in our neighbor's pond

and comes over on occasion for the ground seed we put out. He's very protective and gentle. He stands watch while she fuels up. Once another male showed up and got sent packing in a hurry. Once she's done, he'll eat. If she takes off before he's done, he'll immediately follow. So, bad boys, good husbands?

(typo)

[Boudica the Lyoness]

62. My drakes will hold down a hen.

They grab her by the neck while another rapes her. They take turns. I have to live with these perverts. I'm also a vegetarian and if I ever ate meat again it would be one of those drakes...I'd kill the fooker myself to if it was mating season. Two of our drakes are sweet gentlemen but there's another two who we call the 'bad boys' that go on rape rampages and beat up the two sweet ducks. By the end of the spring the nice boys are missing so many feathers it's sad. Like people they are all different. Our oldest hen is called 'Ducky Girl' and she likes to come in the house and walks about. She heads right for the pantry or the dogs water bowl.

[I Have A Dream]

79. I think that I'd do a little selective breeding so that the non-violent...

males get to mate but the others don't. That's how things will change for the species.

I also like to be "Goddess of the Aquarium". If I had an aquarium, I'd make sure that it was peaceful. Those fish that terrorized the other fish would be, at the very least, isolated. I can't make the world a peaceful place, but I could make sure that what is under my personal domain is.

I'm a vegetarian, but I wouldn't feel any guilt about doing what I'd have to do to protect the innocent from being abused by the "thugs" in the group.

(I know that it's animal nature, but I don't care.)

[Road Scholar]

30. Sometimes, I'm so glad that I have nothing to say.

:hide: :popcorn:

[ismnotwasm]

33. Evidently they practice necrophilia as well

http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/research/story/0,9865,1432991,00.html

I find the speculations as to whether the necrophiliac duck was homosexual offensive.

Seriously, kind of a fucked up title for your thread, person

[TZ]

40. Here's a bit of science about this KNOWN behavior

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0030-5693%28198412%2915%3A4%3C261%3AMGITMA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage

Please note this paragraph:
"The widespread incidence of FORCED COPULATIONS in dabbling ducks, including the Mallard, suggests that extra pair-bond mating is an
insemination strategy of paired males"

[EstimatedProphet]

41. No one is saying that they don't have forced copulations

Even if they're forced copulations, calling them "rape" puts a moral spin on a mating strategy. It's like calling depredation of an ungulate by a predator "murder", or consuming a kill "cannibalism". There are people that do that, but they are generally weird and people laugh at them.

[TZ]

52. I heard the term used in academic settings

I also read papers on the possible evolution of rape as a mating strategy in HUMANS while in school (didn't agree with it).
Scientists tend to be direct with their descriptions and not try to be "politically correct".
Which is why scientists aren't generally good politicians

[nytemare]

54. OK.....

If a duck was eating another duck, it would be cannibalism. I don't think it happens in ducks, but cannibalism does happen in the animal world.

http://www.babelgum.com/7139/animal-cannibals-episode-1-eat-their-own.htm

And I do not think the killing of prey by a predator is "murder", he is doing it to survive.

A male duck, who was walking around with a female duck left her, chased another female duck around, jumped on the poor thing, and held her down with his beak. He took her by force, which happens to be one definition of rape.

Holy cow, I was telling a story about what I saw when I was feeding ducks. Suddenly, I am turned into an inhumane weirdo who people laugh at. You do not know me, and if I am so incredibly inhumane, WHY WAS I OUT FEEDING THE DUCKS IN THE FIRST PLACE?

I suppose in using an internet message board, tone and intent are sacrificed. What I meant to be an account of feeding ducks has gotten totally out of control.

And yes, you are right. I am weird. I hold doors open for people, I tip well, I go out of my way to say "thank you", I smile to service people and ask them how their day is, because many times poeple are shitty to them. So yes, I am weird. I also made a thread with what now seems to be an unfortunate choice of wording to describe ducks. I suppose I will have to hold 600 more doors, smile more, and tip a little better so I can build up some better karma.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

70. Your karma is fine

don't worry. Some people just have their heads up their fucking arses.
Right now outside my window there's a duck gang bang going on! We had a goose called Lucy and she knew what the ducks were doing was bad and she'd waddle over and honk at them.

[Reterr]

74. Your karma is fine-you seem like a nice person.eom

[EstimatedProphet]

78. Do you call predators killing other animals murder?

See, I never called you inhumane. I never implied it either. I have met people who think that predators are murderers however, and they are weirdos. If that's not what you think, then don't assume I am talking about you. I wasn't even replying to you anyway.

Rape is simply a choice of words for a breeding behavior that carries a psychological weight. That's all I'm saying.

[nytemare]

83. My apologies, EstimatedProphet..

This thread just totally made a U-turn, and I was getting a little defensive. The inhumanity was implied by an earlier poster.

:hi:

[EstimatedProphet]

95. Accepted!

We're all tense here these days...

[nytemare]

101. It must be the Eye of Sauron looking on us.

That would make anybody tense.

:)

[EstimatedProphet]

109. It's made me tense since 2000!

[Boudica the Lyoness]

97. An elephant killed a rhino

a young bull elephant chased down a rhino and stabbed him to death with his tusks. They say because they have split up elephant family groups these young bulls have grown up to be like street thugs and haven't learned good herd behavior from adults.
I know the elephant couldn't be called a predator but he sure murdered that poor rhino.
I've witness enough animal behavior to know that there are some animal weirdos out there. I get your point though.

[EstimatedProphet]

98. No, he didn't "murder" the rhino

I'm sorry, but I have to draw the line here. It isn't murder, it's killing. It happens in nature all the time. It doesn't happen in nature with malice aforethought. Who's the "they" who claim elephants are acting like street thugs? Animals may have behavior based upon a certain set of circumstances, or they may have behavior that deviates from what is considered normal for them, but they aren't making moral choices. "Murder" implies they are.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

102. The elephant chased the rhino for ages

After he chased the rhino he killed him and it happened with forethought! Do you think the elephant thought the rhino was his fucking dinner? THEY are the experts who study these animals say there are dozens of young bull elephants who are doing UNNATURAL thing's because humans have been fucking about with their natural family structures.
Just because shit happens out in nature doesn't mean it's natural. Bloody hell the elephant went after the rhino with MALICE and made a choice to stab him lots of times with his tusks till the poor old rhino quit screaming. He didn't go over to the rhino for a friendly "How's your uncle?" then the rhino walked into his tusk and kept doing it till he was dead!
The rhino pissed the elephant off so he took him out! If that is not murder then what the fuck is?
Animals have personalties and think for themselves. They are not like cars you know!

[EstimatedProphet]

110. I'm aware that animals are not like cars

It isn't murder because people murder, not animals. Nature can be violent and bloody without anthropomorphizing. It doesn't even have to be natural.

[PeaceNikki]

42. Rape, by definition, happens to people. Not ducks.

[pitohui]

44. sorry, words mean what they mean, not what peacenikki wishes they mean

the behavior is known as rape, at such time as you get your phd in ornithology you can lobby for a name change of the behavior but it is clearly what it is

get out in nature, it isn't what you think it is

the OP described what was seen accurately enough that those of us who have also seen the behavior recognized it instantly, the hallmark of a clear-eyed observer who can communicate in clear language what was seen

you can be accurate or you can tiptoe around and pander to people's superstitions (some in this thread have the superstition is that rape was invented by the human male, a ridiculous idea)

i like it when someone is accurate and honest

we are supposed to the reality based community, let's leave pie in the sky fantasy bullshit about life to the "morans," 'kay?

[PeaceNikki]

45. Good to see you. You are always such a little ray of sunshine.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

46. ...

:rofl:

[pitohui]

47. thanks, i've found if i believe my own eyes instead of superstitious bullshit things just go better

the folks who don't know that mallards do this, and persist in denying that this well-documented, easily observed behavior exists, should put aside their typewriter and get outside for a change

it's sad when people who are completely ignorant on a topic want to come in and offer an opinion anyway

[PeaceNikki]

48. .

[Zuiderelle]

61. Ironically, it makes me feel better that you agree with the OP.

:eyes:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

68. i grew up wiht ducks, woudl you like to see a picture of the pond with ducks in my house?

that doesnt invalidate that ducks dont have the same psychosocial understanding of sex as humans

[TZ]

49. that s actually a term used in biology/zoology

"forced copulation" is the fancier term though.
I posted the info cause people actually seemed interested in the behavior.

[PeaceNikki]

55. We never refer to killing in the natural world as “murder”. Same should go for “rape”.

Certainly not the first disagreement about the use of the term:
http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2007/05/01/the-mysterious-inner-workings-of-a-female-duck/

Since animals aren’t ever capable of giving informed consent to sex, wouldn’t all non-human animal mating be rape? I’m far more comfortable with the terms “forced mating” and “voluntary mating”. Save the term rape for animals who can consent.

I think "forced copulation’ is usually a more descriptive term of the practice in non-human animals than ‘rape’. ‘Forced copulation’ is a detached, clinical description of a reproductive strategy in certain animal species. But I think only the most far gone evo-psych dope fiend would claim that rape in humans is mostly about a reproductive strategy. There are examples in cases of ‘ethnic cleansing’/genocide of men raping women in part for demographic reasons (but mostly because of power struggles). But I think most of us would agree that in humans, ‘rape’ as a word rarely refers to someone who wants to father a child without the consent of the woman. Sexual thrill, domination, etc… yes, but rarely reproduction.

The word ‘forced copulation’ WOULD squick me when describing humans precisely because it would be an assumption that rape is a reproductive strategy in human beings rather than a tool to subjugate women.

[TZ]

80. So fighting between males

should be not called fighting by your standards? Cause you know only people fight. Gods these arguments are stupid. I've heard animals fights called boxing, polygamy for males/females that have multiple mates, and how often do WE refer to terms like Alpha male and female. Calling forced copulation rape...and how the FUCK do you expect a non scientist NOT to assign a descriptive word like that.
Ugh, its like arguing with fundies who insist on calling a zygote a baby. You have no idea about scientific terminology and how its used. There is NO emotional attachment to a term of observation.

[PeaceNikki]

85. First of all, they are not "MY standards"

As a non-scientist who had never ever heard animal behavior referred to as rape, I was interested in this topic. I see how offense can be taken by the choice of words and I did some Googling. I thought to myself, surely the scientific community knows the vast difference between a sexual reproductive habit of a waterfowl and the violent controlling behavior of humans, right? And surely, they'd see how an emotionally charged word like "rape" can stir emotions.

There's no need to get nasty with me, calling opposing opinions "stupid" and comparing them to "fundies". I never got nasty, I never called anyone or their opinions on the topic stupid nor did I compare them to "fundies". I may have "no idea about scientific terminology and how its used", but you clearly have little to no tact or social grace to respond the way you did to those who take issue with the choice of words.

As I said, this thread is clearly not the first time ever in history that a person has taken issue with this terminology:

http://membracid.wordpress.com/2007/05/01/its-not-rape-damn-it/">It’s not rape, damn it!

http://www.cedarcreek.umn.edu/biblio/fulltext/t1261.pdf">Often this behavior has been called "rape" in the bird literature, but we feel that it is best to avoid this controversial term

As I said, rape and "forced copualtion" are very differnt and there's no need to be such a flaming ass to people who try to discuss that difference.

KTHXBAI

[pitohui]

91. "rape" and "forced copulation" are exactly the same thing

you admit you are no scientist, you admit you don't know what you are talking about, you admit the word "rape" is the one used in the actual birding literature by most folks who want to be understood -- but still you want us to use a long-winded collection of syllables instead of the simple, easily understood anglo-saxon

i follow the wisdom of mark twain -- never used the bible-tooled $10 gold-plated euphemism when the simple four letter word will do

clarity is important if the goal is to communicate in english

now if the goal is to be "holier than thou" to those of us who actually observe these animals, then be my guest

i believe the OP's goal was to describe, accurately, what was observed

[PeaceNikki]

93. Happy Sunday, sunshine!

[pitohui]

90. birds DO give "informed consent" to sex in a great many cases

you have never observed birds and you simply don't know anything about them

for most birds, a successful copulation is a very delicate and difficult matter for the male to position the cloaca where he can effectively fertilize the female -- if she doesn't cooperate, then successful fertilization just cannot cannot CANNOT happen

therefore in the overwhelming number of avian species, if the female doesn't consent, fertilization doesn't happen -- even when she does consent, if you watch birds copulate, it's hilarious how often the poor male "falls off"

hence with most bird species we see the songs, we see the dances, we see the feeding and seduction

the mallard is unusual (but not unique) in its physical structure, the male possesses a penis analogue and therefore he is able to rape and successfully fertilize the female, even tho she doesn't want it to happen

you can be all namby pamby and euphemistic as you please, but if you've ever observed the activity, there's no doubt what it is -- it's rape, and it's dangerous and unpleasant for the victim

you need to get outdoors and OBSERVE instead of telling people who have observed to stop believing their lying eyes

[Midlodemocrat]

51. I was under the impression

mis-impression obviously, that ducks mated for life. :shrug:

[TZ]

53. remember

Theres a whole bunch of different species of "duck". Most aren't monogamous for life, many are serially monogamous. As I posted upthread females will often mate outside their bond pair during the season as well.
Birds have some of the most complex mating systems of vertebrates.

[nytemare]

56. I was as well.

"March of the Penguins" may have seeped its way into the duck world in my brain, because I can't remember where I got that impression.

[skygazer]

57. I am utterly astonished that a thread about ducks could turn into such a heated flamefest

Perhaps this thread should be moved to GD? :wow:

[nytemare]

58. Hmm

:hide:

[datasuspect]

59. this place can be pretty idiotic sometimes

there are some truly sheltered republicans here.

oops, i mean democrats.

oops, i mean republicrats.

oops, i mean demolicans

wait, what is this place again?

time to go back outside.

[enigmatic]

69. I'm not

There are a certain segment of people who come to message-boards expressly to argue. What, it doesn't matter; it's the arguing that counts.

[Reterr]

73. No kidding.eom

[Phillycat]

96. Ducks, chicken...no fowl threads are safe from a flame fest.

:cry:

[Shakespeare]

99. Me too!!!

This has to be the weirdest flamefest EVER (even by lounge standards)!

[slutticus]

100. Really?

I would be astonished if it DIDN'T

[DS1]

104. douchebags bring their own piss and vinegar

[Haole Girl]

105. I guess it will be known as "The Duck Wars"

:crazy:

[Rising Phoenix]

77. flame war....go figure

at school we had a pond with ducks.....we would sit on the porch and watch them "rape" each other while we drank out beer. There really was no other word for it.

[liberaltrucker]

81. After reading the thread

My conclusion is that the behavior described in the OP
is perfectly natural in that particular species.

Having said that, Mr Big Shot Mallard would be quite tasty
cooked in orange sauce. As would any of his consorts.

:)

[Karenina]

82. If you really want to get your knickers in a twist

Watch National Geographic footage of lions killing cubs that aren't theirs.

[democracyindanger]

84. That's just 'population management'

Not murder.

[The Animator]

88. The following link has absolutley not merit or value.

I just thought I'd add it cause it seemed appropriate. Don't click on it. You don't want to know, seriously I forbid you to click on this link.

http://members.cox.net/vassweb/duckjob.wav

You clicked on it didn't you... you sick bastards.

[pitohui]

92. i didn't click, too afraid of a rickroll!

i never click any more, ain't it awful?

[The Animator]

94. No RR but still don't click on it...

It has no bearing on this thread whatsoever. I know better than to say.
"It's not a Rick Roll, guaranteed... Trust me."
It's almost sure to be RR then.

[Haole Girl]

107. Thank you very much for the warning. nt

[yellowcanine]

108. I guess being a female duck isn't all it is quacked up to be.