The Ultimate Duck Quiz 🧪
Agent Quack's field assessment. 20 questions. No time limit. No cheating (we'll know).
Scroll down slowly — answers are revealed after each question.
Round 1: Duck Biology
Question 1
How many eyelids does a duck have?
Answer: Three. Two regular eyelids plus a translucent "nictitating membrane" that protects the eye while swimming.
Question 2
What is the waxy gland near a duck's tail called?
Answer: The preen gland (or uropygial gland). It produces oil that ducks spread across their feathers for waterproofing.
Question 3
True or false: Male ducks (drakes) quack.
Answer: False. The classic "quack" comes from female ducks. Males make a softer, raspy sound.
Question 4
How many lamellae (comb-like filtering structures) does a typical duck bill have?
Answer: Over 200 — used for filtering food from water and mud.
Question 5
What is the diving depth record for a duck species?
Answer: Approximately 60 metres, held by the Long-tailed Duck.
Round 2: Duck Breeds
Question 6
Which domestic duck breed lays the most eggs per year?
Answer: Khaki Campbell — up to 340 eggs per year, outperforming most chickens.
Question 7
Which is the only common domestic duck NOT descended from the Mallard?
Answer: The Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) — it's an entirely separate species.
Question 8
What colour eggs does a Cayuga duck lay at the start of the season?
Answer: Black. They gradually lighten to white as the laying season progresses.
Question 9
The Indian Runner duck is actually from which country?
Answer: Indonesia (specifically the islands of Java and Bali). The name is misleading.
Question 10
What is the smallest domestic duck breed?
Answer: The Call Duck — originally bred as a living decoy to attract wild ducks.
Round 3: Ducks in Culture
Question 11
What is Donald Duck's middle name?
Answer: Fauntleroy. His full name is Donald Fauntleroy Duck.
Question 12
In what year was Donald Duck first introduced?
Answer: 1934, in the cartoon "The Wise Little Hen."
Question 13
What is "rubber duck debugging"?
Answer: A programming technique where developers explain their code to a rubber duck to find bugs. The act of verbalising the problem often reveals the error.
Question 14
How many rubber ducks fell into the Pacific Ocean in 1992?
Answer: 28,800 — from a shipping container. They've been washing up on shores worldwide ever since.
Question 15
What does "lame duck" originally mean, and where did the phrase come from?
Answer: Originally London Stock Exchange slang (1700s) for someone who couldn't pay their debts. Now used for outgoing politicians.
Round 4: Expert Level
Question 16
What is a group of ducks called on water?
Answer: A raft. On ground: a team or badling. In the air: a flock.
Question 17
What speed can a Red-breasted Merganser reach in level flight?
Answer: Up to 100 mph — one of the fastest birds in the world.
Question 18
In Chinese culture, what do Mandarin ducks symbolise?
Answer: Lifelong love and fidelity. They're a traditional wedding gift.
Question 19
What is the name of the famous viral duck that wore a tiny knitted hat?
Answer: The "Shuba Duck" — a Call duck that became a global meme in 2021.
Question 20
How old was the oldest known duck?
Answer: 49 years old — a female Mallard in the UK.
Scoring
| Score | Rating |
|---|---|
| 18-20 | 🏆 Agent Quack Elite — You know more about ducks than most ducks do. |
| 14-17 | 🥈 Senior Operative — Excellent duck knowledge. Field-ready. |
| 10-13 | 🥉 Junior Agent — Good instincts, needs more pond time. |
| 6-9 | 📋 Trainee — Visit our Duck Facts page and report back. |
| 0-5 | 🦆 Civilian — Welcome. You have much to learn. Start with the basics. |
All questions sourced from Agent Quack's verified intelligence files. No ducks were harmed in the making of this quiz. 🕵️♂️