Whether you follow the "duck, duck, gray duck" school of thought or are firmly ensconced within the "duck, duck, goose" camp, you probably agree that it takes a male and female duck to make a baby duck. Add another male and maybe you'll increase your chances of getting a baby duck out of the deal. At least, that's what the folks at the Arundel Wetland Center on the southern coast of England thought.

Blue ducks (the whio, or Hymenolanimus malacorhynchos) is a unique threatened species of waterfowl endemic to New Zealand, according to the NZ Department of Conservation. "It is the only member of its genus and has no close relative anywhere in the world," the site says. "The blue duck is believed to have appeared at a very early stage in evolutionary history and the species’ isolation in New Zealand has resulted in it acquiring a number of unique anatomical and behavioural features."

The blue duck is in danger of going extinct, so England's Arundel Wetland Center tried to mate Cherry, believed to be the last female blue duck in England, with two drakes, Ben and Jerry. (Who wants to bet that the warden was eating Cherry Garcia Ben&Jerry's ice cream when he had to name the birds?)

The problem? Ben and Jerry found each other much more attractive than Cherry. She had taken a liking to Jerry, but he favored Ben, warden Paul Stevens told the Daily Telegraph. "To our surprise, the two males really took to each other and it was obvious that they really liked each other," Stevens said, adding: "Ben and Jerry do make a lovely couple."

Thanks to Scientific American for the tip.