A drake is a male duck. While we often just say “duck” to refer to both males and females, the technical term for the male is drake, and the female is called a hen or sometimes simply a duck.

In many duck species, drakes look quite different from hens. Take mallards, the ducks you often see in ponds: the drake has a brilliant green head that shimmers in sunlight, a white collar around his neck, and a yellow bill. The female mallard, by contrast, has mottled brown feathers that help her blend in with reeds and grasses when sitting on her nest.

Drakes also typically make different sounds than hens. While female ducks make the classic loud “quack” sound most people associate with ducks, drakes often make softer, raspier sounds that might surprise you if you're expecting the familiar quack.