World Cup
Wow, can you believe it? Amidst the excitement, the nerves, the preparation, and yes, the controversy.. the 2022 World Cup is already here, and our supporter ducks are ready to go quackers cheering the teams on!
Who will you be supporting? We're based in Devon so are a little biased towards the Three Lions (as long as they don’t eat us!). But we do have duck cousins all over the world, and so many of the world cup teams have their own native ducks!
So, we thought we would introduce some of them to you…
England – The Mallard Duck
The most recognisable and familiar duck in England is the Mallard Duck, which you can find in the majority of ponds, lakes and rivers! A male Mallard is called a Drake and has a dark green head, yellow bill, is brown on the breast and grey on the body. Whereas the female is mainly brown with an orange bill. Fun fact, did you know that only the female Mallard quacks?!
Canada – Mandarin Duck
Although not a common bird, the Madarin Duck is a small exotic duck that is usually found at lakes and parks. These birds are very striking, with the male ducks having big orange ‘sail fins’ on the back, streaked orangey cheeks, and a small red bill with a whitish tip. The female duck has a grey head with white speckles, and a pale bill tip. Fun fact, there is a male Mandarin duck affectionately named that can be found in British Columbia, Canada.
Tunisia – The Ruddy Duck
You will find lots of different birds in Tunisia, from Ostriches through to pheasants and doves. You will also find the Ruddy Duck in Tunisia, as well as many other countries taking place in the World Cup. Ruddy ducks are small, with broad short wings and a narrow stiff tail – perfect for diving! The male Ruddy Duck has a bright chestnut body, black crown, white cheeks and blue bill. Fun fact, the Ruddy Duck hardly ever leaves the water, being very clumsy on land!
Australia – Australian Wood Duck
The Australian Wood Duck, is a dabbling duck found throughout much of Australia. The male duck is grey with a dark brown head and mottled breast, whereas the female duck has white stripes above and below the eye. Both ducks have grey wings with black and white patches on them. Fun fact, the Australian Wood Duck feeds mainly at the surface rather than by diving!
Brazil – Brazilian Teal Duck
The Brazilian Teal is the only duck in the genus Amazonetta and can be found all over eastern South America. They are light brown in colour, and the Drakes have red beaks and legs as well as a pale grey area on the side of its head and neck. The have beautiful iridescent green-blue upper wings and dark lower wings! Fun fact, Brazilian Teals live in pairs or in small groups of up to twenty birds.
Good luck to all the teams taking part.
PS: During the month-long football festival, you might also spot a few sneaky peeks of our new Sporty Ducklings that are heading onto the pitch for spring 2023.