Spirit Animals: DUCK SYMBOLISM
Duck Symbolism
Ducks have super snuggly coats of waterproof feathers filled with an insulating layer of down. These birds are no ninnies. Duck symbolism brings the power of insulation from the outside world helping us brave the hazardous weather in our own lives.
When you are in a situation surrounded by icy people out of touch with their emotions (or just plain mean ice queens), duck spirit animal can help you find the warmth and love you need. If you are in a “winter” in your own life emotionally, materially, or otherwise, call on duck spirit animal to help insulate you from the harsh climate.
A great tarot card to study in relation to duck spirit animal is the Five of Pentacles (aka coins or disks). This card is about feeling left out in the cold and the prompting to find warmth either from spiritual sources or from within.
Winter? No Problem.
Ducks do extremely well in bitterly cold climates. In my mountain town, they swim in the little bit of open water in frozen lakes all winter long.
Ever wonder how ducks can stand on ice without their feet freezing? Ducks have a counter-current circulation system in their feet that allows their feet to stay just above freezing with very minimal heat loss. You can learn the mechanics of this ingenious system here: https://birdnote.org/podcasts/birdnote-daily/why-birds-feet-dont-freeze
When asking “What does duck mean?” it is important to remember that conservation of your own inner fire can help you thrive in cold environments. Symbolically, a cold environment is one where others are not open to your ideas, you’re given the cold shoulder, or there’s generally not a lot of interest in what you’re passionate about.
With the help of duck symbolism, it is easier to make progress (the feet represent forward momentum), in a figuratively cold place. For example, if you work in a business that has a tight budget (the money is essentially frozen), duck can help you gain traction and move ahead on your creative projects despite the scant financial support.
Sitting Ducks
The phrase “sitting duck” originated in the context of World War II to indicate a poorly defended or unsuspecting military target that was easy to take down. Dabbling ducks, such as mallards, sit on the top of the water and dabble with their beaks below the surface. They are easy targets for hunters.
Why would I bring up such macabre conversation? This language is in all of our psyches. Regardless of if we want it to or not, we associate vulnerability and danger with duck symbolism. Even before the term sitting duck came into use, the word “duck” has always had the alternative meaning of avoiding a blow, hiding from sight, and departing quickly. Think “duck and cover” and “duck out”.
What are you ducking in your life right now? Are you bracing for a possible crisis? The instinct to duck is a strong, survival impulse that has saved countless lives. There is a time to duck down and evade the either literal or symbolic blow. If you know your pocketbook is about to get hit, bracing yourself and preparing mentally for the blow may be what gets you through it.
Trouble arises when we duck from illusory fears. Fears like “What will other people think?”, “Will I end up homeless?”, and “Will he leave me?” – those kind of fears. Soon fear paralyzes us and we cannot move. That is when we become true sitting ducks.
Duck Spirit Animal Helps Us Evade
Duck spirit animal reminds us that we have webbed feet and, even better, we have wings. We have the power to lift out of the watery emotions that threaten to drown us. Duck symbolism teaches us to swim into the depths and find inner silence.
We may be physically powerless to do anything in a situation and feel like the victim. Nevertheless, we always have power in our interior. We can always lift off in our mind’s eye and get a broader view. Duck symbolism teaches that we can also dive down into the truth of who we are. Some diving ducks swim rushing torrents of class five river rapids with ease.
Meaning of Duck Molting
With all of this talk about flying out of danger, I am obligated to mention that in the late summer / early fall all ducks are rendered flightless. They drop and replace their flight feathers (called “molting”) in a matter of weeks, which means they are grounded. During this time, ducks hunker down in the reeds in the marshes or they band together in the middle of a large, deep lake.
Leveraging the power of being grounding and tending to matters close to home will help you take advantage of this aspect of the meaning of duck. It is no use ignoring the fact that the to-do list needs doing and the laundry needs washing. By choosing the right time to do these tasks, you take less risk of things going awry. It’s okay to hide in the reeds of your life, and avoid things by getting busy for a time. That is until you get your feathers back, of course.
Tribes of Ducks
There are over 130 different species of ducks worldwide, which means there’s no way to offer the unique symbolism of each species here. However, there are different tribes of ducks and each has its own unique symbolism that we can easily tap into.
Dabbling Ducks
These ducks sit on the top of the water and dip their heads into the water to forage. The classic view of a duck rear in the air with feet paddling, is of a dabbling duck. One well known species is the Mallard. They are not able to dive and feed only at the surface. They walk well on land and take flight quickly.
The spiritual meaning of dabbling ducks relates to the ability to navigate between the physical, mental, and emotional/spiritual (symbolized by land, air, and water) planes seamlessly. This is being in touch with one’s emotions, being grounded, and thinking things through. That cute little waddle masks great versatility.
Diving Ducks
The diving ducks relate to the ability to go below the surface and into the depths. Water represents both the emotional and spiritual realms, and by diving deep to forage, these ducks remind us of our own ability to find nourishment in our emotional and spiritual lives. To find safety, they can disappear below the surface or take flight. However, they do need a bit of a runway to lift-off, so your go to in times of stress may be to head into your emotional and spiritual life.
Perching Ducks
This tribe is not closely related genetically, but it is a grouping of ducks that perch high in trees. A great example is the Wood Duck. If you see a duck perched in a tree, this could relate to connections with your own family tree. It could symbolize branching out from your usual way of doing things, or to finding ways to connect heaven and earth.
Sea Ducks
Arguably some of the hardiest of duck species, sea ducks inhabit far north and far south latitudes. They have specialized salt glands above their eyes to excrete salt from their systems. This allows them to drink sea water. Salt stings the eyes and open wounds, it purifies and dries. Salt relates to old wounds and our fixation upon them.
In their ability to desalinate sea water, sea ducks bring the message that we too can transform old hurt into nourishing experience. They are great divers and have rapid wing beats. This speaks to agility in navigating deep, oceanic emotions and to having quick thinking.
Want to learn more about spirit animals?
Go to the Spirit Animal Guide
I have received much insight from your writings. Your explanation of duck symbolism is profound.
I don’t often see ducks on our farm. We had a nesting pair live for a season on our tiny pond 7 years ago. Then 4 years ago we had a duck build a nest in my flower bed along the foundation of my farmhouse. Needless to say, I had a very weedy bed until after her brood of 6 hatched and headed to the creek. What a great experience for my children to have. 3 weeks ago, we were harvesting alfalfa. I was raking a field and saw a Drake running around very distressed. She stayed near a window until my tractor got within 6 feet of her and then flew a short distance. I stopped and walked the row until I found her nest. There were 5 ducklings recently hatched and the remains and a dead duckling that had been the victims of the mower. I felt so much despair for the frantic mother duck and her babies. I scooped up some alfalfa and the duck nest and moved them to the field edge praying she would find them and continued mowing. Early the next morning, I went to check before the chopper arrived to fill the solo and the ducklings were gone. I have carried sadness and guilt for the lost ducklings. After reading your post and reflecting on the ducks that have showed up in my life, I realize that all these experiences have happened during extremely difficult financial years on our Dairy farm. The 3 worst milk price years we have had, we have had close encounters with ducks nesting on our farm. Perhaps I should reflect on the hardiness of the ducks to weather extreme circumstance. Thank you for your wise reflections!
Hello April, My heart breaks for you. I too have had the experience of accidentally causing harm to an animal. For me, it is one of the worst feelings. That is so interesting to hear you make the connection between that experience and your financial hardship. Some of the symbolic links I make in these articles are intuitive and/or personal, so it is nice to have an additional account to add. Then there are the sweet stories of your family helping raise, by providing sanctuary, the family of ducks in your yard. There is so much tenderness here with this bird. I am glad to share this kinship with you. Many Blessings, Stacey
Thank you Stacey,
Such tender little lives . It can seem incomprehensible that such would not be nurtured and
honoured. But we cannot ignore this epidemic of anger and brutality when it raises it’s ugly head.
Yet even within this perceived abberation seem to lie the forces of nature.
I have been dreaming increasingly in animal symbolism.
I dreamt about being out on a misty grey street at night and heard two vicious dogs start
growling fiercely nearby as if to attack. And then mraculously I just levitaed upwards on the street
and floated aloft to avoid them.
It represented some people in my environment whose vibration and lack of loyalty (dog)
I needed to rise above.
Similar instances have taken the form of a plague of rats and some black worms which had flies
gathered round them.
All these creatures are a part of nature, but not ones we would welcome or allow into our Sacred space.
I thank my dreams and my guides for such warnings when I am needing my own wild animal
wariness.
Hello Elizabeth, It sounds like you are confronting the darkness of the world in your dreams and, thus, working out how to relate to such forces. You are exactly right that we can’t ignore these ugly aspects of the world, of other people and in ourselves. It is important that we illuminate them and learn to persevere in the face of brutality however it appears to us. That is why I decided to write this article the way I did. I wanted to share about the sweetness and comfort of these awesome birds, but the cosmos reminded me to include the shadow too. In the same way, I watch my thoughts and try to keep from violence in my thinking as much as I can manage. In that way I know I am battling the darkness in the most powerful way I can. Many Blessings to You on the Path, Stacey
Over a month into the pandemic, I dreamed of several ducks in Chinatown, waddling, and in a separate pen, a few baby chicks, white. What is your interpretation?
Beautiful Stacey????, I too would have been stopped with my hands covering my eyes to avoid the possible accident. As an empath this earthly existence is just so disconcerting at times. I notice beings often in public in such an unconscience state. And try my best to make myself super conscience out of reverence for all that is. Are we in the process of losing reverence for one another , as well as the beauty of nature and this beautiful planet we inhabit? I find myself more and more insulating myself here in our quaint lovely town of Pt Pleasant PA. Here in my small two acre space I can create beauty, feed and appreciate the creatures that vist and enjoy watching them do what they do. I can respect and care for this small space by being conscientious in what I do with and to it. I’m deeply grateful and in awe of all it shares.
If loving is so simple, so easy, why do we struggle to do so at times. When it only takes a moment for an act of kindness to show our reverence for one another, why do we turn our heads, ignore the opportunity? I am so grateful when I am privy to receiving , observing or giving in an act of kindness. I’ll hold that moment in faith , however small at times…that we have not totally lost ourselves????❤️????
Hello Cheryl, First of all, thank you for acting as a steward of your land and for providing refuge to the wild ones. I can say that I know that all over the world there are people like you doing this quiet work in small ways. We are making a difference. The law of the Tao says that from all things balance must flow. When you see thoughtless or unconscious acts, know that somewhere at the same moment a conscious, thoughtful, caring act is also taking place. Then there is the knowing that the force of life is always working to assert itself and emerge even in the most dire of circumstances. There are so many ways to find hope. In reading your comment, I can tell you know a good deal of them. Thank you for your kindness and wisdom. Many Blessings, Stacey
[…] “Duck spirit animal reminds us that we have webbed feet and, even better, we have wings. We have the power to lift out of the watery emotions that threaten to drown us. We can swim into the depths and find inner silence … we can always dive down into the truth of the beauty that we are.” – Stacey Couch, Wild Gratitude […]
Hello Stacey,
I want to share a wonderful story with a happy ending. I was driving home along a busy two lane road at rush hour and was slowing down in the right hand turn lane when I spotted a mother duck and her seven babies attempting to cross the road. I remembered your story… it Just broke my heart, and knew I had to help them. As soon as I could get out of my car I did. Mother Duck seemed to feel threatened and became more determined to cross the road when a passing car made her go back. There was a bit of a break in the traffic and I went into the middle of the road and started waving like a crazy woman, and the traffic stopped. I went back to Momma Duck who was already crossing the street with her brood accompanied them until they got to the other side, all arriving safely. As I went back to my car a woman who had been making a left hand turn at the intersection had seen what was going and stopped, blocking oncoming traffic, protecting me and the little duck family. As I crossed the road to get back in my car and traffic resumed, people who had witnessed the event gave me a thumbs up & waved. I know they all felt as happy as I did when they saw the little family was safe. I have to say I felt such relief and pride, humbled to have been chosen to be in service at the right time and place.
In gratitude for Wild Gratitude, ????????
Kathleen Urquhart
Wow Kathleen! What a wonderful story!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this! I’m so grateful that you were there in the right place at the right time to be an angel for the mother duck and her brood of ducklings. My heart is overflowing and I am brought to tears. There was nothing I could do for the ducks in my story as I was too far away, but to know that this story would ripple outwards and inspire you to courageously stand in front of traffic is incredibly humbling. This is another gorgeous example of how we are all connected and how our actions influence one another. Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking my story to heart and, even more so, for being a guardian of the wild ones. Many Blessings, Stacey
I have dream of this white duck that carries me on his back and we fly together, sometimes he struggles because he is a normal size duck , he is loving and soft clean beautiful, I love to have this dreams I wake up feeling loved .
Thank you for sharing your beautiful dreams Sandra. White symbolizes purity, connection with spiritual forces, and newness. The fact that you are flying on the back of the duck in your dream, shows the opportunity to lift up out of the mundane and transcend daily life. What a beautiful opportunity! Many blessings to you, Stacey
Such a well-integrated presentation of the Duck animal spirit. Very heart touching, inspiring and revealing for me and I am so grateful to you for helping me with your words. Goddess blessings to you Stacey. OM Shanti! ????
You are more than welcome Surya. I am glad you have found some guidance and blessings to you too! Sincerely, Stacey
[…] We may be rendered physically powerless to do anything in a situation and feel like the victim. Nevertheless, we always have power in our interior. We can always lift off in our view. https://www.wildgratitude.com/duck-symbolism/ […]
A short little heartwarming story for you guys. I was taking my usual walk around the neighborhood but then i got this urge to go and see animals at an animal store. Because of the pandemic, there were was very few. Low and behold i walked to the back of the store, there were over 4 dozen baby chicks and duckies running around in a bed prepared for them.
They were so beautiful and endearing. I videotaped them and it brought me to happy tears. I was guided following the trip to share with others. They appreciated it. A few days later went back to the store, there was only half of them left. I believe people needed these animals as so did I.