Here Are 10 Pics Of Gertrude, The Duck That Is Famous For Her “Hair”

Holly Mead from Pennsylvania has a lot of ducks. And no, she’s not a duck farmer or anything like that. She and her family just love having them as pets! They’re all lovely and nice, but one of them is particularly eye-catching. Her name’s Gertrude, and she has a hairstyle that most could envy. Her hairdo, which is actually a crest of feathers, has drawn many comparisons. She’s been likened to George Washington, Queen Elizabeth, Albert Einstein, and many other personalities known for their hair.

Holly told more about her beloved duck to Bored Panda: “Gertrude is my 3-and-a-half-year-old crested Peking duck. When she hatched, she had an unusually large crest lump that grew her fabulous ‘hair.’ Gertrude has been featured in magazines, on a tabloid cover in the UK and in a few advertisements. This all started with a photo of her that went viral. Because of her talent contracts, she lives inside and wears diapers. She also serves as an emotional support animal and frequently visits nursing homes and shut-ins.”

“Gertrude had a brother named Golda. Sadly, he was killed by a raccoon when they were a year old. However, we have a total of 20 ducks, 12 geese & 25 chickens. So she is not lonely!

Gertrude is a very unique duck—not just because of her fabulous “hair” but also because of her personality. She is extremely friendly, very laid back most of the time. However, she is my loudest quacker and will squawk away when she wants attention. She knows her name and will answer when we call her. Her favorite person is Poppy, my 81-year-old dad.”

“Ducks are great pets! They are funny to just sit and watch. They are loyal to their family and often imprint on people. They are messy, though, so I don’t recommend having a house duck unless you want to do a lot of cleaning. Ducks are a commitment. They are great pets, but they are not animals that you can just dump off at a pond when they grow up. If you are going to get pet ducks, do your research first and commit to keeping them for their lifetime.”

Crested Pekin Ducks, usually known as American Pekins, arrived from China in the nineteenth century. Pekin ducks should not be mistaken with Peking Duck, which is a form of a dish, though the original Pekins who were brought to America actually hatched in Peking (Beijing). The American Pekin, usually grown for meat, has a large and heavy body, and they’re not known to be great flyers. However, they can do that, if need be.

Though some Crested Pekins have a crest just like Gertrude, Gertrude’s crest is still very unique-looking. They remind me of those perms that women had in the ’60s, not to mention the personalities known for their hair which I’ve mentioned before. Though the judgement about what it reminds one of is subjective, it’s inarguable that thousands of people who saw it on Instagram and other social media find the duck’s crest very interesting.