Found baby ducklings without mother! Help!

[Miss Lydia]

Those look nothing like mallard ducklings....color, eye stripe, and bill shape all say wood duck. Size and down quality say class 1-III ducklings. (BTW, that's how biologists field-age ducklings, Class 1, 2, and 3, and subclasses based on physical characterics....that would suggest those ducklings are 14-21 days, they fledge at about 35-40).

Clint

Whats throwing me off and I admit I know nothing about wood ducks and very little about mallards but the color of the one duckling it looks brown which made me think Muscovy. Or is that the lighting? and you honestly think that at 14 to 21 days they can be on their own? also the sharp tip on the end of the bill, do other species of ducklings have that also other than scovy's?

 

[Speceider]

Yes, they can be on their own....the hen was probably close by before they were taken. Bills...wood ducks and muscovies are in the same tribe....and the bills look a lot a like....google wood duck ducklings, and look for older ducklings. They are not scovies.... a brood that large would have a dark duckling in it, seemingly even in wild scovies.

Clint

 

[BirdieLove]

Yes, they can be on their own....the hen was probably close by before they were taken. Bills...wood ducks and muscovies are in the same tribe....and the bills look a lot a like....google wood duck ducklings, and look for older ducklings. They are not scovies.... a brood that large would have a dark duckling in it, seemingly even in wild scovies.

Clint

The work place that I found them at, they said they've seen the mama duck right with them all day the day before yesterday and then yesterday they didn't see her at all.We even went all around the building looking for an adult duck and couldn't find any.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The work place that I found them at, they said they've seen the mama duck right with them all day the day before yesterday and then yesterday they didn't see her at all.We even went all around the building looking for an adult duck and couldn't find any.

How are the ducklings doing?

 

[Shikoba70]

wood duckling

Muscovy

 

[Speceider]

The work place that I found them at, they said they've seen the mama duck right with them all day the day before yesterday and then yesterday they didn't see her at all.We even went all around the building looking for an adult duck and couldn't find any.

With wood ducks that doesn't mean much. Hens often take breaks away from the ducklings, and you will not see her if she doesn't want to be seen.

Clint

 

[BirdieLove]

How are the ducklings doing?

They're doing great. Still super active and drinking, eating and pooping fine.


My favorite one already. I think he's the smallest.

 

[BirdieLove]

wood duckling

 Muscovy

They look exactly like the muscovys to me. Not at all like the wood ducks.

 

[Shikoba70]

This is my latest baby Muscovy, I love them they have great personalities. I love the colour of your favourite

 

[Speceider]

They look exactly like the muscovys to me. Not at all like the wood ducks.

You see that yellow in them? Why no dusky duckling which seem to show up in almost any Muscovy brood?

Clint