42 Duck Quotes about the Friendly Waterfowls

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. Of course, ducks love the rain, and we celebrate both its positive and negative qualities in our rain quotes and sayings by famous people (and some not quite as famous!)

Best Duck Quotes About Our Fine Waddling Friends

Ducks have three homes: land, air, and water. Like otters, penguins, and crocodiles, ducks' feet evolved with 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 duck 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." -Douglas Adams #trvst #quotes #planetearthfirst #collectiveaction #duck #bird
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"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."

- Douglas Adams

"A healthy duck will be bright and will try to get away from people." -Nyiri Murtagh #trvst #quotes #beinspired #bethechange #duck #people #bright
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"A healthy duck will be bright and will try to get away from people."

- Nyiri Murtagh

"A duck call in the hands of the unskilled is one of conservation's greatest assets." -Nash Buckingham #trvst #quotes #socialimpact #bethechange #duck
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"A duck call in the hands of the unskilled is one of conservation's greatest assets."

- Nash Buckingham

Metaphorical And Inspirational Duck Quotes To Think About

What makes ducks true aquatic birds is 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 entered our daily conversations. 

"If you keep your feathers well oiled the water of criticism will run off as from a duck's back." -Ellen Swallow Richards #trvst #quotes #dogood #beinspired #duck #water
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"If you keep your feathers well oiled the water of criticism will run off as from a duck's back."

- Ellen Swallow Richards

"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." -George Foreman #trvst #quotes #dogood #bethechange #duck #water
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"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."

- George Foreman

"The squeaky wheel gets the grease but the quacking duck gets shot." -Carl Sandburg #trvst #quotes #changetheworld #beinspired #duck
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"The squeaky wheel gets the grease but the quacking duck gets shot."

- Carl Sandburg

"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." -Diem Brown #trvst #quotes #ecoconscious #takeaction #duck #life
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"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."

- Diem Brown

"Be like a duck, paddling and working very hard inside the water, but what everyone sees is a smiling and calm face." -Manoj Arora #trvst #quotes #socialimpact #gogreen #duck #water
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"Be like a duck, paddling and working very hard inside the water, but what everyone sees is a smiling and calm face."

- Manoj Arora

"Poetry is a sky dark with a wild-duck migration." -Carl Sandburg #trvst #quotes #collectiveaction #gogreen #duck
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"Poetry is a sky dark with a wild-duck migration."

- Carl Sandburg

"I don’t have ugly ducklings turning into swans in my stories. I have ugly ducklings turn into confident ducks." -Maeve Binchy #trvst #quotes #changetheworld #socialchange #duck
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"I don’t have ugly ducklings turning into swans in my stories. I have ugly ducklings turn into confident ducks."

- Maeve Binchy

"How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks." -Dorothy L. Sayers #trvst #quotes #dogood #socialchange #duck #human
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"How fleeting are all human passions compared with the massive continuity of ducks."

- Dorothy L. Sayers

"There are no ugly ducklings." -Loretta Young #trvst #quotes #ecoconscious #impact #duck
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"There are no ugly ducklings."

- Loretta Young

"An optimist is someone who figures that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s the bluebird of happiness." -Robert Breault #trvst #quotes #ecoconscious #takeaction #duck #happiness
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"An optimist is someone who figures that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s the bluebird of happiness."

- Robert Breault

Don't be fooled. Looks can be deceptive. Like every working mother, I'm paddling away like a duck beneath the water.

~ Katherine Keller

Quotes About Duck Cuisine And Hunting

Duck-based dishes are more prominent in China, where domestication started around 2200 years ago2. Unfortunately, like all livestock farming, duck farming, even if 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." -Billie Holiday #trvst #quotes #changetheworld #takeaction #duck #love
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"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."

- Billie Holiday

"Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait very, very long time." -Jules Renard #trvst #quotes #collectiveaction #thinkgreen #duck
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"Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait very, very long time."

- Jules Renard

"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." -Lulu Wang #trvst #quotes #takeaction #gogreen #duck
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"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."

- Lulu Wang

"Hams in wine, pressed duck, pate de foie gras, rare fruits in and out of season, were spread in profusion." -Margaret Mitchell #trvst #quotes #gogreen #planetearthfirst #duck
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"Hams in wine, pressed duck, pate de foie gras, rare fruits in and out of season, were spread in profusion."

- Margaret Mitchell

"A duck tastes the same whether they're shot sitting or flying." -Jase Robertson #trvst #quotes #thinkgreen #collectiveaction #duck
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"A duck tastes the same whether they're shot sitting or flying."

- Jase Robertson

"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." -Manuel Vázquez Montalbán #trvst #quotes #dogood #socialchange #duck #human
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"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."

- Manuel Vázquez Montalbán

"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." -Carla Laureano #trvst #quotes #gogreen #socialimpact #duck
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"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."

- Carla Laureano

"The perils of duck hunting are great - especially for the duck." -Walter Cronkite #trvst #quotes #thinkgreen #collectiveaction #duck
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"The perils of duck hunting are great - especially for the duck."

- Walter Cronkite

If you see what the ducks eat then you eat no more duck.

~ Native American Creole Proverb

Hilarious Duck Quotes To Put A Smile On Your Face

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 brighten your day.

"I've always had a duck personality. Calm above water, feet going crazy below." -K. Flay #trvst #quotes #changetheworld #socialimpact #duck #water
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"I've always had a duck personality. Calm above water, feet going crazy below."

- K. Flay

"Don't quack like a duck, soar like an eagle." -Ken Blanchard #trvst #quotes #ecoconscious #collectiveaction #duck
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"Don't quack like a duck, soar like an eagle."

- Ken Blanchard

"Nature is a wet place where large numbers of ducks fly overhead uncooked." -Oscar Wilde #trvst #quotes #thinkgreen #collectiveaction #duck
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"Nature is a wet place where large numbers of ducks fly overhead uncooked."

- Oscar Wilde

"Does a one-legged duck swim in circles?" -Rhodri Morgan #trvst #quotes #socialimpact #collectiveaction #duck
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"Does a one-legged duck swim in circles?"

- Rhodri Morgan

"Don't take me under your wing and tell me that scent is duck sauce." -Josh Stern #trvst #quotes #planetearthfirst #changetheworld #duck
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"Don't take me under your wing and tell me that scent is duck sauce."

- Josh Stern

"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." -Anton Chekhov #trvst #quotes #collectiveaction #impact #duck #wild #nature
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"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."

- Anton Chekhov

"If it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it could be a really ugly swan." -Timothy Radman #trvst #quotes #changetheworld #socialchange #duck
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"If it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it could be a really ugly swan."

- Timothy Radman

"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." -Lani Lynn Vale #trvst #quotes #thinkgreen #socialchange #duck
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"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."

- Lani Lynn Vale

"I really hate rubber ducks, actually." -Florentijn Hofman #trvst #quotes #gogreen #socialchange #duck
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"I really hate rubber ducks, actually."

- Florentijn Hofman

What exactly is the function of a rubber duck?

~ J. K. Rowling

Duck Proverbs From All Over The World

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." -German Proverb #trvst #quotes #bethechange #bethechange #duck
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"Ducks quack loudly before a rain."

- German Proverb

"Eat vegetables and fear no creditors, rather than eat duck and hide." -Yiddish Proverb #trvst #quotes #thinkgreen #dogood #duck
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"Eat vegetables and fear no creditors, rather than eat duck and hide."

- Yiddish Proverb

"Some birds avoid water, the duck searches for it." -Nigerian Proverb #trvst #quotes #dogood #gogreen #duck #birds #water
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"Some birds avoid water, the duck searches for it."

- Nigerian Proverb

"Wild ducks and tomorrow both come without calling." -Russian Proverb #trvst #quotes #bethechange #takeaction #duck
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"Wild ducks and tomorrow both come without calling."

- Russian Proverb

"Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow." -Chinese Proverb #trvst #quotes #takeaction #gogreen #duck #wild
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"Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow."

- Chinese Proverb

Famous Duck Quotes About Cartoon Characters

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." -Donald Duck #trvst #quotes #takeaction #socialimpact #duck
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"Happiness is the richest thing we will ever own."

- Donald Duck

"In retrospect, I would say from Donald Duck I have learned more about life than from all the schools I ever attended." -Gottfried Helnwein #trvst #quotes #planetearthfirst #gogreen #duck #life
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"In retrospect, I would say from Donald Duck I have learned more about life than from all the schools I ever attended."

- Gottfried Helnwein

"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." -Roger Bart #trvst #quotes #bethechange #changetheworld #duck
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"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."

- Roger Bart

"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." -Britney Spears #trvst #quotes #ecoconscious #bethechange #duck
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"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."

- Britney Spears

"I fantasize and idealize myself as Bugs Bunny, but I know deep down I’m Daffy Duck." -Patton Oswalt #trvst #quotes #beinspired #gogreen #duck
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"I fantasize and idealize myself as Bugs Bunny, but I know deep down I’m Daffy Duck."

- Patton Oswalt

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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 domesticationGigaScience, 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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