Mallard Showoff?

Is this male Mallard showing off his ability to stand on 1 leg? And is an unimpressed female Mallard ignoring him?

Probably not. Many birds are way better at standing on 1 leg than most of us humans are, and can even sleep standing on 1 leg. (Don't try this at home!) During cold weather having only 1 leg fully exposed to the elements probably has some value, though this picture was taken in early May; most birds coming off of winter probably weren't too concerned about warmth. Certainly the female sitting next to him wasn't bothered by the cold.

It sounds like bird muscles and ligaments work a bit differently than ours, and that when they stand on 1 leg, this leg "locks". This makes it unable to bend until the bird brings down its other leg, so standing on 1 leg is stable - even during sleep - and relatively efficient.

So this duck probably isn't showing off but actually resting comfortably.

May 5, 2023 at Duke Island Park
Photo 282299069, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)



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