What to do if you find baby ducks in your yard, according to wildlife experts

It’s best to leave the adorable ducklings alone.

Key Points

• If you find baby ducks in your yard, it’s important to act responsibly to protect them and their mother.

• Most ducklings are part of a brood led by their mother, so observe from a distance before intervening.

• Avoid feeding ducklings or raising them yourself—contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if they appear abandoned or injured.

Baby ducks are almost impossible to resist. With their peach fuzz-like feathers, unsteady waddles, and soft peeping calls, they’re brimming with storybook charm. That charm can wear thin, though, if a brood decides your yard is home base. 

Finding one of these baby birds in your yard is more common than you might think. Many young birds leave the nest before they’re fully capable of flight, while others are accidentally knocked out by strong winds or storms. Before you intervene, it’s important to know whether the bird actually needs help. Here, we asked wildlife experts what to do, what not to do, and when it’s time to call a professional. 

Meet Our Expert

• Lauren Schulz, co-director at the Wildlife Center of Long Island
• Lisa Thompson, spokeswoman with the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Related: What to Do If You Find a Baby Bird on the Ground, According to Wildlife Experts

What to Do If You Find a Lone Baby Duck

It’s not unusual to find a baby duck in your yard. “In New York, Mallard ducks are a common local species that often nest up to a mile away from water,” says Lauren Schulz, co-director at Wildlife Center of Long Island. Rather than nesting alongside other waterfowl, they often seek out quiet, concealed spots where they can avoid predators. In suburban landscapes, that may mean tall ornamental grasses, dense shrubs, or even plantings around backyard pools.

As tempting as it is to scoop them up, most ducklings in suburban yards are part of a brood being actively led by a mother duck, who may temporarily move them through unfamiliar areas in search of water or food. Ducklings are precocial, meaning they hatch with their eyes open, covered in down, and ready to leave the nest within hours alongside their mother, says Lisa Thompson, a spokeswoman with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “If you find a group huddled together without an adult in sight, step back and watch quietly for several minutes before assuming they’ve been abandoned,” she says. Keep pets and children away, observe quietly from a distance, and let the situation unfold naturally.

If they end up in a swimming pool or pond, the risk changes. “Young ducklings don’t hatch with waterproofing that enables them to stay in the water for long periods,” says Schulz. “Young ducks often cannot jump from the water to the height of the pool deck and will often be trapped in the pool.” In this case, a young duckling can quickly become hypothermic. “The first priority should be creating a ramp or steps for the duckling to get out,” she says. A pool skimmer, pool steps, or a gently angled board can help give them a clear path to safety.

What Not to Do

Schulz has seen people make many well-intentioned mistakes with young waterfowl. “In some situations, a mother duck and her ducklings may be crossing the road and people step in to assist,” she says, adding that this must be done very slowly and carefully. “If a mother duck and her babies are approached too quickly, it may cause them to scatter and the mother to get frantic.” Rather than rushing in, experts recommend observing first and giving the family space to move safely on their own.

Schulz also sees situations where people find a young duck alone and instead of calling an expert right away, they may try to raise the baby themselves. “This is never a good (or legal) idea,” she says. Ducks and geese are flock animals, and when raised alone by people, they imprint on people instead of on other ducks.   

Well-intentioned feeding can also cause problems. Wild ducklings have evolved to eat a natural diet of aquatic insects, plants, and other foods they find in their environment. Human-provided treats like bread, popcorn, and even seeds can disrupt that balance, providing little nutritional value, while encouraging birds to rely on an artificial food source. When ducklings continue to rely on these high-calorie foods, they can develop a physical deformity called Angel Wing, which can render them flightless.

When to Call an Expert

If the mother duck has not returned after an extended absence, further action may be needed. “Young ducks rely heavily on their parents for protection from predators, and mother ducks rarely leave their babies for long periods of time,” says Schulz. “While she may occasionally be startled away by a loud noise or disturbance, ducklings that remain alone for a prolonged period need assistance.” In that situation, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for guidance, rather than attempting to raise or relocate the ducklings yourself.

Other instances in which you might want to call a wildlife professional include:

• A duckling is visibly injured, bleeding, or unable to walk or swim
• The ducklings are trapped in a space they can’t safely exit on their own
• If you are certain the mother has been killed or has been injured. 

Read the original article on Martha Stewart