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Wild Animals/Duck won't leave her nest

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Expert: Jonathan Wright - 6/25/2009


Question
There is a duck that has been sitting on her nest (in a very urban area of downtown DC) for at least 5 weeks. She has a pan of water that some people must be refilling for her. I fed her some bread crumbs yesterday and when she got up from the nest the single egg looked dark, even greenish. Would it be advisable to try and encourage her to leave the nest (for her own health) by distracting her with food and then snatching the egg which I'm guessing isn't going to hatch?

Answer
Dear Jessica

Thank you for your question. I also wish to thank the authors of the websites I used.

Ducks usually incubate their eggs for about 28 days, but this is an instinctive response to an egg and birds will also incubate egg-shaped objects, such as golf balls and model eggs. They will lay infertile eggs if males have not mated with them and will lay fertile eggs if males have successfully mated with them.  

The ducks will continue incubating the eggs until the eggs hatch. There is a good chance that the duck you've seen is sitting on an infertile egg, which will not hatch. Please check with a local bird charity if it is legal to touch the egg and to remove an infertile egg from a nest. Your idea to entice the duuck away from the nest is probably a good one. This will enable you to candle the egg by holding it up to a light (see http://www.minkhollow.ca/HatchingProgram/Candling/index.html).

Removing an infertile egg, will enable the duck to mate and perhaps produce a fresh clutch of eggs, rather than continuing to sit on an infertile egg.

All the best

Jonathan  

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Jonathan Wright

Expertise

I can answer questions about wild mammals and other animals, as well as extinct animals and zoos. I am not an expert about every animal species. I can look up information from books and the internet, but can't verify if all the information is true. Please don't ask questions about: 1. Pets. I am not a vet. Please contact a vet if your pet is ill. You may need to spend some money if you want your pet to live. Don't get a pet if you don't know how to look after it and if you can't provide it with the space, food and possible companions that will help it live a healthy life. Don't take animals from the wild, unless they are ill and/or injured and you can protect them until a wildlife charity can help. It is cruel to take animals from their parents, especially if the parents will look for the babies, while putting their other babies at risk. You may be breaking the law by keeping wild animals or you may need a licence to look after some species. Please check with a local wildlife group. 2. Eggs: Please don't remove eggs from nests. The mother birds provide the right temperature for the eggs and won't sit on them if the temperature is warm enough for them to develop naturally. It is illegal to remove eggs of some species and, unless you have an incubator or a broody hen, the egg may not develop. If you are allowed to touch the eggs, you can candle them to see if they are fertile. If theys aren't fertile, they won't hatch. 3. Fights: Please don't ask about fights between different animals. These questions assume that individuals of two species fight each time they meet and that one species will always be victorious over another. This is untrue. There are cases where a live mouse has been fed to a venomous snake, bitten the snake leading to the snake's demise. 4: Diseases: Please ask doctors or other medical experts about diseases that you may catch from animals. I can't advise on how to deal with viruses, bacteria etc.

Experience

I have a zoology degree and have been interested in animals since I was two. I am a zoo volunteer at London Zoo. I have appeared on a BBC Radio Quiz, 'Wildbrain'.

Organizations
WWF. ZSL. Natural History Museum. RSPB. London Bat Group.

Publications
Newsletters of London Zoo volunteers and the London Bat Group

Education/Credentials
BSC degree in Zoology. 'A' level in Zoology. 'O' Level in Biology.

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