Maya Bewley It’s been over a year since Longboi, our beloved campus duck and international sensation, passed away. But did you know that Longboi was just one of many iconic ducks that have graced campus over the years? We take a deep dive into the history of some of the most popular campus ducks that have waddled their way into our hearts.
‘Trevor’ the golden shelduck
Once known as the University’s ‘most famous wildfowl’, Trevor, also known as ‘Fit duck’, was a golden tinted ruddy shelduck which took campus by storm in the early 2000s. A Facebook appreciation group was set up in Trevor’s honour, and when Trevor sadly passed, a motion was passed by students demanding YUSU buy a new golden shelduck in his memory.
After £60 was supplied by the alumni fund, former president Tom Scott (now a popular YouTuber) met a local duck dealer at a service station, where Trevor’s replacements were then ferried back to campus for a worthy ‘InDucktion’ ceremony.
Chonkyboi
Are you familiar with Chonkyboi, Longboi’s noble companion?
According to legend, Chonkyboi came onto campus in 2020 as a very shy saxony duck, but found his way into the community and had chonklings. Chonky boi’s life came to a heroic end when he was injured in a fox attack – with speculation suggesting he died protecting his ducklings. A true hero.
Fancy boi
Always dressed to the nines, this vibrant Mandarin duck became iconic for his bright plumage of deep orange, bold blue and classy green colouring – making him the most stylish duck on campus. Ever the distinguished gentleman, you’ll find him showing off his fancy beard and strutting his stuff along the lake.
Aside from being a fashion icon, Fancy boi is also known for being a proud adoptive father. An RSPB newsletter reported that for two summers in a row, he fostered and brought up ducklings belonging to a female mallard.
Pudding
Pudding is exceptionally round, exceptionally adorable and exceptionally friendly. Many students and staff remember Pudding as the University’s ‘most polite duck’ – except from when Pudding was climbing humans, or trying to eat. One staff member shared:
“Pudding used to sit on my shoulder like a parrot and enjoyed many a walk around campus, which greatly helped with my pirate image. They have previously attempted to steal one of my shoes and once defecated in my hair shortly before a very important meeting while sitting on my head.”
“If Pudding isn’t your favourite duck, Pudding will know and will not appreciate it. I once saw them bite someone’s ear. They also bit my ear once after I fed Longboi twice without a ‘one for them, one for you’ system.”
Golden Girl
Was this the brightest duck on campus? Golden Girl was known for her elegantly long neck and caramel coloured feathers, and was the daughter of Chonky Boi. She hatched in the spring of 2021 and was once a regular sight on campus until she mysteriously disappeared one day – leaving her adoring fans and instagram followers heartbroken.
Honorary Mentions
We couldn’t leave out a submission from campus duck expert Joey Mcnamara, who had many tales of his favourite ducks. He retold the chaotic story of a pair of mallards and their daughter ‘Quentin and Edith’:
‘Quentin and Edith were the first ducks I befriended on campus and caused a change in the Careers Building rules on feeding ducks from windows. They have forcefully joined a number of meetings when the window was left open, Edith has previously tried to break into the Placements office in search of seeds and Quentin has infiltrated the events office, making a mess on the floor and knocking over a mountain of staples. Since Ethel was born they have transitioned into calm parents who fiercely guard their daughter. Ethel has yet to show any of her parents destructive qualities.’
Did you ever spot any of these campus celebs? Is there a duck or goose that holds a special place in your heart? Let us know in the comments and we might do a part two – featuring other wildfowl and of course, the legendary Long Boi himself!
What I remember was a plain white farm duck (Heslington had farms in the 70s). Repeated returnings to home failed completely and he (or she) became a fixture on the lake.