Expert: Roger Lederer - 6/25/2007

Question
Dear Roger,
On a lake in NH, I saw a group of 6 fully grown ducks and one smaller duck who
was clearly at the end of its life. The ducks stayed with this one dying duck on
the water's edge for several days.  They seemed to be guarding the little one,
until he passed.  I have heard of mammals staying with the injured, but not fowl
. . . what do you think of this behavior?

Answer
It's all in the interpretation. I'm not aware that ducks or any other birds stay with a dying one. It may be just that the group always stayed together for feeding or breeding or protection or whatever. The fact that one got ill and died and the group stayed with it may have no connection. Or it could have been the young of two parents in the group. I don't know the situation or the kind of ducks, I can't speculate more. In addition, domestic or at least tame ducks do very odd things at times that one will not find in nature.