Found their way home

[uhuh555]

Last fall sold off the extra 6 pairs of Mandarin ducks. By spring a pair returned and last week another pair with 13 fledglings returned. No one has called about missing ducks; unfortunately I kept no record of who bought them. The four adults have our ID closed bands on their legs so I am positive they were born here and are 2008 birds. It amazes me that they have returned for it was my understanding that they would not stay around if they were alowed to free range. Could it be because they were born and raised here that they returned?

Has anyone had this happen?

 

[Featherland]

Wow! How old were they when you sold them? That may have a bearing on why they returned to you. Isn't it amazing how they are able to find their original home.

 

[uhuh555]

They hatched in the early spring of 2008 and sold them in the fall of 2009.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Yup, sounds like they homed in on their home. Guess they like it better at your place. Now wonder if they will fly back to other home in the spring or stay put.

This is cool. Like the joke about the guy that kept reselling this homing pigeon that Dad used to tell.

Obviously I am no help, but this is funny for me because I don't have to house and feed the 17 duckies over the winter. I don;t sell my Muscovies, now I have another reason not to.

Only thing I can think, is to sell them younger, so they don't have your place implanted with the HOME instinct. But I don't know what the cut off age would be, probably under 6 months old, though. Now you know, keep records of who you sell to, always and so do we.

Sorry, I am still laughing. What a surprise you must of had to see those with their fledglings. Oh, My.

 

[sourland]

Pretty neat. Homing instinct is well developed in many species. There is a strong pull to return to that area where we "as living beings" were raised. I have an interesting story about a beagle that was given away as an 8 wk old and homed to my place as a 3 year old.