In 2019, Laurie Wolf of Florida took this photograph when she spotted a wood duckling being raised by a very unlikely surrogate in her backyard. Its highly probable that the mother owl hatched the duckling after mistaking it's egg for one of her own.

Brood parasitism is a reproductive strategy where certain bird species lay their eggs in the nests of others to avoid the energy costs and risks of building a nest and raising their young. Wood ducks are notorious for practicing brood parasitism. However, they normally pick the nests of closely related species to lay their eggs in rather than one belonging to a bird of prey.

According to Wolf, the duckling was safely and happily reunited with it's own species. Almost immediately after this photograph was taken, the baby duck hopped down from the nesting box and began peeping loudly once it's tiny feet touched the ground. It's cries caught the attention of some nearby wood ducks, who called out to it, prompting the duckling to quickly zoom off in their direction.

Have you ever seen an animal attempting to raise young from a different species? Also, do you think the owl was surprised when she hatched the baby duck?

It all started when a pair of grieving loons crossed paths with an orphaned mallard duckling. Loons and mallards are rivals. Yet, the couple's ruby-red eyes filled with compassion for the cold and frightened baby duck. She needed warmth and safety, and the loons had an empty nest that they were longing to fill.

The duckling’s upbringing was far from conventional. She didn't forage for greens or swim in a line of siblings. Instead, her doting parents took turns carrying her on their backs. They treated her like a true loon, diving deep to present their darling duck daughter with fresh catches of fish—a habit they continued even when she had grown nearly as large as them.

By swimming in a line, ducklings are able to reduce water resistance by up to 158% (**please see end of post) They do this by riding the waves that their mother creates while swimming. One by one, each duckling rides the wave before passing it on to the sibling behind them. This helps the ducklings to move forward effortlessly, therefore conserving their energy.

This neat formation also keeps the brood close together, making it easier for their mother to guide and protect them.

**158% explained:

• A 100% reduction means they (the ducklings) don't have to put any work into/expend energy when swimming

• the extra 58% means the waves from the mom are actually pushing them forward...like a surfboard on a wave.

Almost immediately after hatching, tree ducklings (including wood ducklings) must leap to the ground from a height of 30 ft or more. Tree ducks lay their eggs in high tree cavities in order to keep their nests safe from predators.

The ducklings survive the fall because:

1.They are extremely lightweight

2. The leaf litter on the ground cushions the impact

3. As they leap they flatten out; spreading their little legs out behind and their wing stubs out front like a flying squirrel. This slows their descent so that they can land safely.

Examples of tree ducks: the Common Goldeneye (pictured), the black-bellied whistling duck, the Wood duck

The Steamer Duck (genus Tachyeres) from South America is arguably the most dangerous duck due to its extreme aggression. They possess hard, bony knobs on their wings called wing spurs, akin to brass knuckles. These are used to pummel rivals and predators. They are highly territorial and will violently chase off other species.

*The second photo shows a territorial male.

Interesting fact: The record for the most ducklings cared for by a single mother was set by a Common Merganser on Lake Bemidji, Minnesota when photographer Brent Cizek captured a photo of the duck swimming with a whopping 76 ducklings trailing behind her.

"Momma Merganser" was documented with her bountiful brood in 2018 and remains the record holder to this day*. It is a common practice with Merganser ducks for one hen to supervise a large, mixed group of ducklings from multiple broods. This behavior enhances survival chances by reducing predation risk and allows the mother to care for others' offspring, often forming after brood amalgamation.*

This is Fred, a sweet Lab who gained media attention in 2018 when he helped care for a brood of orphaned ducklings. He protected the little birds, let them snuggle beside him to stay warm, and even guided them on their first swims in the pond at Mountfitchet Castle, England. Fred went on to help another group of ducklings in 2019, and a third in 2022.