Supporting Waterfowl Voyage: Guidelines for Assisting Duck Families Safely - Strategies for Securely Aiding Duck Familes
In today's bustling cityscapes, a heartwarming and somewhat common sight is that of the police rescuing a band of tiny, waddling ducklings. Recently, an entourage of ten ducklings were spotted near Büttelborn in Hesse, and earlier last week, a similar scene unfolded along the A5 between Hemsbach and the Weinheim interchange. The tenacity of these mallard ducks is commendable as they venture into the cacophony of city traffic, led by their protective mother, in search of food and safety.
Why are the little water creatures embarking on this urban adventure?
Mallards live primarily in water bodies, which offer them sustenance and a sense of security from predators, such as minks, foxes, and cats. According to Torsten Collet from NABU Rhineland-Palatinate, the breeding season for mallards typically begins around mid-March, with the first ducklings hatching in April or May. As brood parasites, the mother mallard accompanies her young to a nearby water source for food about six to twelve hours after hatching. These journeys may involve negotiating one or two roads.
Sometimes, these resourceful mallards find unique ways to adapt to our infrastructure for safety. For instance, a mother duck in Frankfurt chose an unconventional nesting spot – a flowerpot on the fifth floor! Despite the absence of a water body in sight, the elevated location provided some respite from predators. Remarkably, the mother and her twelve offspring were later relocated to a secure location by Kostadin Georgiev from the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology’s bird protection station.
But why aren't the animals terror-stricken by the ceaseless noise of the road?
"As city-dwelling animals adapt to their surroundings, they learn that the common noises associated with urban living, like the hum of traffic, are typically not immediate threats," explains Collet. "The mother duck instinctively navigates the quickest and safest route to the water, regardless of the presence of road traffic." Georgiev adds, "City-dwelling ducks are surprisingly immune to the tempest of urban commotion."
Are the ducklings left in the lurch without their mother, or do they need human assistance? Can another mother duck take them under her wing?
As brood parasites, ducklings don't solely rely on their mother for survival. "Though human intervention isn't necessary for ducklings accompanied by their mother in close proximity to a water source with low traffic, it's essential to inform the police if they are found on highways or busy roads due to the increased risk of accidents," cautions Georgiev. In such instances, the ducklings and their parents must be carefully caught and transported to the nearest water body. In theory, another mother duck might adopt orphaned ducklings, according to NABU’s spokesperson.
What should be done if you stumble upon ducks in a pinch? Whom should you consult for assistance?
Georgiev advises, "The best course of action is to keep a safe distance and do nothing. It's illegal to take the ducklings, and their survival doesn't necessarily depend on human intervention." However, in situations where the ducklings are far from the nearest water source and must traverse busy roads, they and their parents must be safely captured and transferred to the closest water body.
- Police
- Mother
- Büttelborn
- Groß-Gerau
- Mainz
- Wiesbaden
In urban areas, the mother mallards' lifestyle often leads them to venture beyond their natural habitat, crossing city streets like in Büttelborn, Groß-Gerau, Mainz, or Wiesbaden, in search of resources and safety for their offspring. Lifestyle adaptations for these city-dwelling ducks make them surprisingly immune to the commotion of home-and-garden sounds like traffic, enabling them to navigate their environment effectively.
