Miniature Appleyard Ducks

[dazza1965]

Hi everyone.
I've not posted on here for a while.
Got a bit of a mystery that will probably never get solved. I have 2 Appleyard Ducks. 1 male and 1 female. They live with my 2 older Indian runner ducks. Had them for 18 months.
But the male has gone missing. The garden is secure with walls or solid fencing. They have a run, but on weekend we let them roam the garden.

This weekend during the day, is when the drake went.
We don't know if he flew away, this is unlikely as he has never shown any sign of flying for more than 10 or 20 seconds and not high.

He may have been stolen by a predator but no signs of a struggle or loose feathers.
No birds of prey in my area that we know of. Seagulls yes but don't think they are bold enough.
Also, none of the other ducks shouted / quacked in thier distressed manner.
So likely that he did fly off. But can they fly far?
Any thoughts

 

[Knighstar679]

Are they silver appleyards, or miniature silver appleyards? I think the miniature ones can fly and could fly just as good as calls, mallards, and blast East Indies.

 

[dazza1965]

Hi Knightstar,
They are the miniature Appleyard Ducks (so we were told) but they were with call ducks and similar size. What is odd he rarely flew, when he did it was not very high or far. The female will fly very short distance and only a foot or 2 off the ground.
Having said that, due to lack of evidence this does seem to be the only explanation that he flew away. Maybe got spooked by a Seagull or Large Magpie they are the quite common by me.

 

[chickens really]

If you have wild Ducks close by he possibly went looking for females. My Call Drake keeps trying to take all my Hens towards the sound of Wild Mallard Ducks. I also have a Wild Mallard that comes here to get my Call Hens..

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I don't know where you are but the use of garden and presence of Magpies makes me think UK. If so, I would guess fox. I have coyote and bobcat here. When that type predator takes one, they just disappear. I think it would be unlikely that a domestic duck would leave home on their own. I am sorry about your duck.