Streetwise Mallards: Navigating City Traffic with Ease and Grace (And Sometimes a Little Help from Humans)
Assisting Migrating Ducklings: Securing a Safe Passage for Duck Familes - Guidelines for Securely Aiding Duck Families
In the news lately, you've probably stumbled upon headlines like "Cops Save Stray Ducklings from City Thoroughfares." Recent events include the police rescuing ten little ducklings from the A67 motorway near Büttelborn, and a similar occurrence on the A5 between Hemsbach and the Weinheim motorway interchange. Why do these feathered friends suddenly seem more prominent than ever in urban environments?
So, why are ducks and their families cruising the city streets?
Duck family dynamics can be quite intriguing, with the majority of their time spent on water for good reason: it's prime feeding ground for them, while keeping them safe from predators like minks, foxes, and cats. Torsten Collet from NABU Rhineland-Palatinate explains, "The breeding season for mallards begins around mid-March, so the first ducklings hatch in April or May." As "brood parasites," the mother leaves the nest about six to twelve hours after hatching and leads the ducklings to a suitable body of water in close proximity. Often, this necessitates crossing one or two roads.
In some cases, mothers have even learned to coexist with our city infrastructure as a means of protection. In Frankfurt, for example, a mother duck took up residence in a fifth-story flowerpot, demonstrating a unique adaptation to urban life that kept her brood safe from harm. Nonetheless, she was later moved to a more suitable location by Kostadin Georgiev from the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation's bird protection station (HLNUG).
But why don't these noisemakers bat an eyelash at the cacophony of traffic?
"Urban animals, including ducks, have developed a keen ability to adapt to the noise of city life through prolonged exposure," explains Collet. When they determine that the loud commotion of cars does not signal imminent danger, city sounds become merely a background hum for these feathered travelers. "The mother knows the quickest route to the body of water, whether it's a safe one or not," adds Georgiev.
In need of rescue or taking a stroll with their new companions? Can another mallard mom step in to help?
The truth is, ducklings don't rely on their mothers for sustenance as they can feed themselves from the start. However, having a mother offers added protection, particularly during their vulnerable first days, as well as providing guidance on what is edible as they learn together. "In theory, another mother could take in orphaned ducklings," says Georgiev, the Nabu spokesperson.
What should you do if you come across these wandering waterfowl? Where can you turn for help?
"Generally, it's best not to interfere," advises Georgiev. "It's actually against the law to take the ducklings, and human interaction is usually unnecessary when the mother is present near a body of water with minimal traffic." However, in situations involving motorways or heavy traffic, it's a smart idea to notify the police due to the increased risk of accidents. If the birds are far from the nearest body of water and must traverse busy roads, they and their parents should be safely captured and transported to the nearest suitable water source.
- Police
- Mother
- Wiesbaden
- Mainz
- Büttelborn
- Groß-Gerau
- Weinheim
- Mannheim
- Nature Conservation Association Germany e.V.
- Rhineland-Palatinate
Fun Facts:
- Mallards are some of the most adaptable waterfowl, thriving in a wide range of environments and habitats.
- The males (or drakes) are colorful creatures, with glossy green heads, chestnut-brown bodies, and striking white neck patches. However, the females (hens) are considerably drabber, sporting a brown body, light brown head, and grayish bill.
- As brood parasites, female mallards will lay their eggs in the nests of other waterfowl species, placing immense pressure on the resources available to those species.
- As the urban presence of ducks increases, it is important to remember that their instincts for survival drive them to cross roads to find suitable water bodies.
- With a keen ability to adapt to city life, ducks can often be seen navigating busy traffic with a mother's guidance or the help of other mallard mothers, demonstrating their remarkable adaptability.
