ducks

Question
I live on a lake.  There are many (20 - 30) Canadian geese here, as well as a male and female goose pair.  My dilemma:  in addition to the above-mentioned, there were 2 ducks:  one white duck and one mallard.  You NEVER see one without the other.  When the white duck came up to me to eat day before yesterday by herself, I knew something had happened to the mallard.  I found him dead on the highway, which is quite a distance away.  (However, the lake is bordered on one side by a road that leads to the highway.)  The mallard and the white duck were my family's favorites, with the mallard being especially precious to us.  Ever since, the white duck is pitiful!  She stays at the fringes of the geese, who don't let her come very near.  Of course, I make sure she eats.  Could you suggest anything?   Should I go and buy another mallard, or another duck?  What can I do?

Answer
For some reason, Canada geese aren't fond of mallards. We have 35 Canada geese on our college's lake and the mallards keep a wide distance from them. This spring, however, two pintail ducks stopped in for a rest and the geese let them eat right along side them.

This is unfortunate for your little ducky however ducks do not mate for life. Geese do. (not all but most do).

You could get her a friend but that doesn't mean she will accept the duck. These are wild ducks I am guessing and not domestic raised ducks. Even though she is a hybrid she must have come from domestic stock to be white.

I would ask around if anyone knows of a wild mallard male that is lonely. She would probably be fine without one around until some more wild ones show up- but I know it looks like she is so lonely. Of course feeding them makes them more dependent on you so that increases her look of being lonely.

If you feel that getting her another duck will help then by all means get her one. If you know for sure that she is a female and that the mallard was a male (some people do, some don't) then get a male for her. Maybe feeding them would keep them from wandering off so far. It is very unusual to find a duck dead on a highway. Have you ever seen them fly?

In any case, it's up to you to decide what to do. You can let nature take it's course and see if another duck shows up or she flies away. Or you can get her a companion.
Let me know what you decide and how it works out.

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Hi Missy,
thank you for the nice feedback but please note that I am a registered veterinary technician and not a vet as it states in my profile. That is why I give advice and do not diagnose.
Let me know how the duck does!