Do Waterfowl have night vision ?

[NCFF]

Morning All ~

I am raising 4 Pilgrims and 10 WH babies(1 week old). In my brooder set up I have no light. The are in a coop that has natural lighting via clear corrugated panels on North wall. Heat is provided by Ecoglow by Brinsia. When I check on them with my light in hand before bed time they all coming running out from under the heat to eat and drink. I feel obligated to wait until they go back under the heat before I leave the coop. Is this unnecessary?, I think I saw someone post that Waterfowl are unlike chickens in that the are active at night- Do they have night vision?

 

[MamaDuck1]

Ive read a few times that they DO. On the other hand, with my ducks it seems to take them a long time to adjust their eyes from light to dark. And as babies, in my experience, they cant recognize me in the dark. I had a full grown duck a few months back that was afraid of the dark, too.... So it seems their sense of sight isnt as great as i have read in the past.

 

[Mum]

I have no definitive answer.

However, I do believe they are drawn to light; so, when you visit them with a light in hand, that will draw their attention. Is it necessary for you to wait? Probably not; but it may make you feel better

Until I kept my own ducks, the only experience I had was of wild ducks - at Uni campus and the local pond. Now, to be fair, the ducks on Campus were really used to the 24/7 lifestyle of students

Which means, they were good for a snack any time of day or night! Conversely, the ducks at my local pond would settle down quite nicely at night (aka they knew all the action/snacks occurred during daylight hours

).

I have my own ducks now and I do have to say, when dusk falls, they know to go "home" to comfort and security. Or, maybe, they simply know that they are not going to get any snacks/outings thereafter!

I'm learning very fast that ducks are creatures of habit - be that where home is, when outings are, where the pond is or when treats/food is dispensed. I equate them to human toddlers insomuch that, we could make a rod for our own backs by being over attentive; but, by giving them a routine, they are very adaptable!

Just my experience to date.

 

[Stormy Autumn]

I've heard that they have good night vision, but mine don't act like it. They kind of bumble around in the dark. During the day, they are like hawks and will turn to look at any tiny little movement they see, but in the dark they just sit there like lumps. They move a lot more slowly too, even when I'm herding them back into their house.

 

[NCFF]

Thank-you for your replies. With the days being so long, I guess I should just check them one last time at dusk and call it good.