Abandoned ducklings...What to do? *pic added!!!

[the4heathernsmom]

Can someone confirm identification for me with the new pics? I am googling and searching and I see a lot more than wood ducks that they could possibly be ....... any experts out there?

 

[desertdarlene]

I'm fairly certain that's a wood duckling by the shape of it's head. But, there are others who own/raise wood ducks and their close relatives, mandarins that might chime in.

 

[Hattiegun]

Heres my wood duck I had..only quick pic i could find.. but if u look at the eye stripe it goes from the eye back
which is how u tell for a wood duck. Mallards eye stripe goes all the way across the eye.

 

[the4heathernsmom]

ok they do look similar but the mandarin baby photos I was looking at look just like her pics she posted especially the second close up one

 

[DuckLover9138]

I want one!

JK Very cute ducking!

 

[Hattiegun]

I believe the Mandarins have another stripe also. Guess We dont have mandarins and I never think of them being in the wild lol...
pretty sure they are woodies tho.

 

[KansasKid]

Quote:
Those are definitely wood ducks, best to take them to a wildlife rehabber if you haven't raised ducks before plus there is some legalities over keeping them. Wood ducks are especially hard to get to eat.

I seriously doubt that there would be any wild mandarins in texas unless they were escapes

 

[THunter]

Red beak tip is the giveaway. Course, I think mandarins have those too but for what you describe to have happened someone would have had to dump them. Not likely. Most likely it was a woody hen that was killed trying to get the predator away from her brood.

 

[xke4]

Do they jump? Wood Ducks.

 

[downy]

They definitely jump. I'm just going to assume they're wood ducks. Thanks for the help, everyone!