Quack! Our adorable and waterproof fowls are here to give us inspiration and joy through the various duck quotes below. Found in our neighboring ponds or the mountain lakes, ducks indeed love their water, as evident in their webbed feet that they effortlessly use during waddling.
The beloved species can grow in the wild, on a farm, or in our homes. They even became an inspiration for many cartoon characters we grew up with. There are many reasons to love these emotional and intelligent birds. Our collection of duck quotes undoubtedly encapsulates all of these and more.
For more from these fine fowls, check out our list of duck facts and bird facts to explore more of the avian world.
Quick links to our selection of duck quotes:
Ducks have three homes: land, air, and water. Like otters, penguins, and crocodiles, ducks' feet evolved to have webs to help them maneuver through the water and land. Specifically, ducks have palmated feet where their three front toes are webbed, and the small hind toe is elevated. Some species dive into the water with the assistance of their feet in search of food.
As the colder season approaches, migratory ducks fly as high as 21,000 feet and as fast as 50 mph on average to live in warmer regions. Their V-shaped formation and flying synchronization allow the ducks at the back to conserve energy. During molting season, ducks replace their plumage, and some species are temporarily unable to fly during this stage.
Admire these waterfowls in the sky or ponds as you read the best duck quotes.
"If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidae on our hands."
"A healthy duck will be bright and will try to get away from people."
"A duck call in the hands of the unskilled is one of conservation's greatest assets."
What makes ducks true aquatic birds are the waterproof ability that allows them to stay dry even after submerging underwater. According to a study, ducks not only have feathers with denser and closely knit microstructures, but also they have more of them than their non-aquatic counterparts1. To make them more waterproof, ducks also produce preen oil, which they rub all over their bodies using their bills.
In our metaphorical duck quotes below, you can see how this bird's adaptation and behavior made their way into our daily conversations.
"If you keep your feathers well oiled the water of criticism will run off as from a duck's back."
"That's my gift. I let that negativity roll off me like water off a duck's back. If it's not positive, I didn't hear it. If you can overcome that, fights are easy."
"The squeaky wheel gets the grease but the quacking duck gets shot."
"No matter how organized your ducks are, life can turn in two seconds. So, you can’t keep on waiting. Because if you keep on waiting, it’s gone."
"Be like a duck, paddling and working very hard inside the water, but what everyone sees is a smiling and calm face."
"Poetry is a sky dark with a wild-duck migration."
"I don’t have ugly ducklings turning into swans in my stories. I have ugly ducklings turn into confident ducks."
"How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks."
"There are no ugly ducklings."
"An optimist is someone who figures that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s the bluebird of happiness."
Duck-based dishes are more prominent in China, where domestication started around 2200 years ago2. Unfortunately, like all livestock farming, duck farming, even if it is regulated, can still cause harm to the environment. Additionally, excessive and illegal duck hunting also poses a threat to the waterfowl population, especially the endangered wild species.
In an ideal world, we want all ducks to live freely, but given the situation, let's spread awareness and do what we can to protect our swimming fowl friends. Check the duck quotes below to see how the birds integrated with our food culture.
"Singing songs like ‘The Man I Love’ or ‘Porgy’ is no more work than sitting down and eating Chinese roast duck, and I love roast duck."
"Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait very, very long time."
"I grew up in Beijing, and Beijing roast duck is my favorite. My mom makes it every year for Christmas Eve. How crispy the skin is is how good a duck restaurant is."
"Hams in wine, pressed duck, pate de foie gras, rare fruits in and out of season, were spread in profusion."
"A duck tastes the same whether they're shot sitting or flying."
"To begin cooking duck at one in the morning is one of the finest acts of madness that can be undertaken by a human being who is not mad."
"They were perfect—crisp on the outside with a creamy interior, at once both salty and sweet from a double bath in boiling duck fat. Not exactly the healthiest of choices, but oh, it was worth it."
"The perils of duck hunting are great - especially for the duck."
Aside from quacks for attracting a mate or warning, ducks can produce other vocalizations. For example, they also honk to communicate and yodel during mating season.
In addition, ducks also emit a variety of squeaks, whistles, grunts, purrs, groans, coos, and many more. Researchers can gain valuable insight into their behavior and social dynamics by studying the different types of duck vocalizations.
An early 2000 study by Middlesex University researcher Dr. Victoria de Rijke even found that they have regional accents by comparing quacking sounds from city and county ducks in England. Interesting!
If quacking sounds make you smile, here are some duck quotes that can also brighten your day.
"I've always had a duck personality. Calm above water, feet going crazy below."
"Don't quack like a duck, soar like an eagle."
"Nature is a wet place where large numbers of ducks fly overhead uncooked."
"Does a one-legged duck swim in circles?"
"Don't take me under your wing and tell me that scent is duck sauce."
"Probably nature itself gave man the ability to lie so that in difficult and tense moments he could protect his nest, just as do the vixen and wild duck."
"If it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it could be a really ugly swan."
"I had the sense of direction of a lame duck that couldn’t follow the flock in front of him to get to where he needed to be."
"I really hate rubber ducks, actually."
Ducks are also the subject of proverbs worldwide, as they should be since they are intelligent creatures. They can recognize people's faces and voices and are capable of abstract thinking, which is evident during the imprinting of ducklings3.
Since they are social creatures, they display many emotions and can undergo stress if left alone. So if you're thinking of having them as pets, get ready with ample space and fresh water, a lot of cleaning, protection from predators, and of course, love and attention.
Find wisdom from the following duck quotes below.
"Ducks quack loudly before a rain."
"Eat vegetables and fear no creditors, rather than eat duck and hide."
"Some birds avoid water, the duck searches for it."
"Wild ducks and tomorrow both come without calling."
"Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow."
Ducks have become characters in books, movies, and cartoons. Clarence Nash, the original voice actor of Donald Duck, imitated a bleating goat, and soon Walt Disney discovered his talent and used his peculiar voice as the mischievous duck we know and love.
From Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Ugly Duckling' to the cartoon characters Donald Duck of Disney and Daffy Duck of Looney Tunes, our childhood is full of quacking friends! So read and relate to the remaining duck quotes below and remember your childhood memories.
"Happiness is the richest thing we will ever own."
"In retrospect, I would say from Donald Duck I have learned more about life than from all the schools I ever attended."
"I’m a huge fan of Warner Brothers cartoons. I would spend many hours alone after school watching Daffy Duck. I think Daffy Duck is one of the great comedic villains."
"If I was to pick a cartoon character I am most like, I would say Daisy Duck because she is very stubborn, she has a very feminine sense, and she knows what she likes."
"I fantasize and idealize myself as Bugs Bunny, but I know deep down I’m Daffy Duck."
| 1 | Pap, P.L., Vincze, O., Wekerle, B., Daubner, T., Vágási, C.I., Nudds, R.L., Dyke, G.J. and Osváth, G. (2017), A phylogenetic comparative analysis reveals correlations between body feather structure and habitat. Funct Ecol, 31: 1241-1251. |
| 2 | Zebin Zhang, Yaxiong Jia, Pedro Almeida, Judith E Mank, Marcel van Tuinen, Qiong Wang, Zhihua Jiang, Yu Chen, Kai Zhan, Shuisheng Hou, Zhengkui Zhou, Huifang Li, Fangxi Yang, Yong He, Zhonghua Ning, Ning Yang, Lujiang Qu, Whole-genome resequencing reveals signatures of selection and timing of duck domestication, GigaScience, Volume 7, Issue 4, April 2018, giy027, |
| 3 | Martinho A 3rd, Kacelnik A. Ducklings imprint on the relational concept of "same or different". Science. 2016 Jul 15;353(6296):286-8. doi: 10.1126/science.aaf4247. PMID: 27418508. |
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