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Birding/mother duckk & ducklings

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Expert: Julia Booth - 6/4/2008


Question
I was taken back by a story a friend told me today about a mother duck hovering over her dead baby duck on the side of the road.  A car must of hit it accidently.  No other ducklings were in the vicinity but the mother duck stayed there observing her poor offspring.  Could you kindly tell me more about this sort of relationship/behavior.  I found it endearing and yet so sad. Do the other ducklings stay near by?   Thanks for any insight!

Answer
I have personally never heard of that -although that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. Ducks typically lay about 10 eggs and usually only one of those offspring make it to breeding age. So, I would think the idea of their ducklings dying would be considered par for the course.

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Julia Booth

Expertise

I can answer questions about bird identification (by sight or sound), behavior, distribution, population, conservation, mating, nesting, fledging and feeding. I do have some practical knowledge about foreign species, but identification skills are limited in that arena. Bear in mind that as much as I know, it's possible that at least some of you will ask a question that I am unable to answer. At which point I would direct you to wherever or whomever I thought could provide you with that information.

Experience

I have 15 years birding experience in Southern California.

Organizations
Audubon Society

Education/Credentials
My education is in art and photography -but I have a substantial portfolio of nature related work.

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