When biologist Carel ten Cate heard rumors of a talking duck in Australia, he brushed it off like a comical anecdote, like any sane human being. But his curiosity got the better of him, so he tracked down a well-respected Australian scientist who first noticed this phenomenon more than three decades ago. After listening to verified footage showing an adult musk duck vocalizing the sounds of a door slamming or squeaking, a pony snorting, a man coughing, and even the all too familiar slur “You bloody fool!”, the Dutch biologist was simply stunned. Listen for yourself…

https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/animals-ecology/this-australian-duck-says-you-bloody-fool-and-can-imitate-other-sounds-and-scientists-couldnt-be-more-fascinated/

Wonder if that duck’s caretaker was cursing the duck or himself. And that slamming door is a bit traumatic too.

musk duck – that’s unusual. That’s a duck that prefers deep water, avoids humans in eastern states.
But not in Perth come to think of it.
Seldom if ever kept as a pet.

More:

https://www.sciencealert.com/vocal-researchers-have-discovered-that-an-australian-musk-duck-would-swear-while-trying-to-mate

mollwollfumble said:

musk duck – that’s unusual. That’s a duck that prefers deep water, avoids humans in eastern states.
But not in Perth come to think of it.
Seldom if ever kept as a pet.

I reckon the first time I saw musk ducks was in Ballarat, when I was a child. I don’t know why I think it was in Ballarat. If it was, I presume it was on Lake Wendouree. They are pretty unmistakeable. And they like to disappear under the water and make you guess where they are going to come up next.