We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.

Birds Birds

Do Ducks Have Accents Based on Their Location?

Updated: Jun 04, 2024

Ducks have accents based on their location, according to research conducted by Middlesex University in London. They found that ducks’ quacks varied depending on the particular region of England they lived in, similarly to the humans’ regional accents. For example, ducks in the busy city of London were more likely to have a louder, more abrasive quack that is thought to be comparable to the Cockney accent of East Londoners. In comparison, ducks in the rural peninsula of Cornwall were found to have a quieter, calmer tone to their quacks. The difference in duck accents is thought to perhaps be the result of environment, as city ducks must be louder to be heard over traffic and street noise than rural ducks.

More about ducks:

A duck’s field of vision is approximately 340 degrees, so they can view nearly everything above, below, and around them without turning their head.
The long-tailed duck can dive the deepest out of any sea birds, and have been found to reach depths of 240 feet (73.15 m).
Ducks’ feathers are controlled by a detailed muscular system consisting of up to 12,000 different muscles.

By Allison Boelcke

Allison Boelcke, a digital marketing manager and freelance writer, helps businesses create compelling content to connect with their target markets and drive results. With a degree in English, she combines her writing skills with marketing expertise to craft engaging content that gets noticed and leads to website traffic and conversions. Her ability to understand and connect with target audiences makes her a valuable asset to any content creation team.

Discussion Comments

By Chmander — On Jan 15, 2015

In relation to ducks, it's really interesting how animals can adapt to their environments, as we can definitely see to be the case here.

One example is how it mentions that city ducks are louder due to all of the street noise, while the ones in rural areas are a lot more quieter.

Speaking of city birds, one thing that I've noticed for the past few years is that many animals who live in or near the city, not only appear to be used to humans, but even more so, they've completely adapted to them.

In relation to city birds, just look at pigeons. You can get close to them, and they won't fly away. Well the case happens to be the same with city ducks.

By Viranty — On Jan 14, 2015

Wow, I didn't know that ducks has certain accents based on where they live. In fact, if anything, I've always thought that they always had the same sounds no matter where. After all, most animals do, right?

However, even though the article doesn't mention this, I wonder if that happens to be the case with some other animals to, especially ones that are related to ducks, such as geese. Do they also have accents based on their location?

On another note, I happen to think that the reason why ducks have certain accents based on where they live is because sometimes we tend to forget that animals have a specific language to, even if it's not as coherent as ours.

For example, when it comes to ducks, their honks mean absolutely nothing to us. However, not only do they have meaning to the other ducks around them, but they can also understand what each other is saying.

Speaking of which, does anyone else reading this article find animal language to be very interesting? The reason why I ask is because there's a lot more to it then what appears at first glance.

After all, animals don't just use their "sounds" to communicate, but their body language as well.

For example, a duck's quack might not have any specific translation behind it, but if the sound comes off in a certain way, it has meaning to the other ducks. This is the way that animals communicate, and the article does a good job at discussing this.

All Things Nature, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.