A Mother Duck Searching for Her Lost Duckling: Urban Wildlife Behavior, Family Bonds, and a 13-Duckling Brood

 A Mother Duck Searching for Her Lost Duckling: Urban Wildlife Behavior, Family Bonds, and a 13-Duckling Brood

In this observation record, I documented several Eastern Spot-billed Duck families living in an urban river environment. The day began with quiet scenes of ducklings searching for a comfortable resting place, but gradually unfolded into a complex record of family movement, hidden ducklings, possible separation, and reunion.

This is not a formal scientific study. I am not a professional ornithologist, but an observer who records wild duck families almost every day with a super-telephoto camera. By preserving daily footage with minimal editing, I try to leave time-stamped visual records that can later serve as circumstantial evidence across multiple dates.

The detailed explanation of my date codes and duck family identification codes is available here:

https://okasinaikimono.blogspot.com/p/welcome-to-wild-duck-diaries.html

On this day, one of the most memorable observations was the Ef family with six ducklings. At first, the family appeared to be resting, but the mother repeatedly changed position as if the sleeping place did not feel right. Some ducklings settled earlier, while others wandered or played nearby. After a period of uncertainty, all six ducklings finally gathered in the same resting spot. For a family that had not always been easy to confirm as a complete group, seeing all six together was an important and comforting record.

Another notable scene involved two young ducks calling while moving downstream. Their behavior gave the impression of separation from a family group, although their exact identity could not be confirmed. In a river with dense vegetation, it is easy for ducklings to disappear from view. Even when they are nearby, reeds and riverside plants can completely hide them from the camera.

The Uf family was also observed again after some time. Only one duckling was seen with the mother. Based on the location and comparison with the previous day’s footage, this appeared to be the same duckling that had been calling alone the day before. It was a relief to see the duckling with its mother, but also sad because the family seemed to have been reduced to a single surviving chick. The mother’s plumage looked somewhat rough, and I wondered whether she might be an older female, although this is only a personal impression.

The Af family, with thirteen ducklings, created an impressive contrast. Even through vegetation, the large brood was easy to recognize. Later, the mother and ducklings occupied a popular resting place, making the scene visually crowded and almost difficult to interpret. A brood of thirteen ducklings is striking in an urban river, especially when seen alongside smaller or reduced families on the same day.

Perhaps the most valuable behavioral record of the day was the Mf family. A lone young duck was first seen without its mother. Soon after, the mother appeared to be calling and searching. The duckling responded with calls, but for a while they did not seem to notice each other clearly. The mother eventually moved away, and the duckling remained hidden.

Later, the mother returned. The duckling began moving toward the weir, and at one moment the mother appeared to notice it. She seemed to react suddenly, almost like a double take, before swimming toward the duckling. The reunion finally confirmed that the lone young duck was Mf1. The duckling’s reaction was surprisingly calm, but the process of searching, calling, missing each other, and finally reuniting was a rare and valuable record of mother–duckling communication.

This behavior reminded me of similar searching movements seen in another mother duck the previous day. While I cannot claim a scientific conclusion from these observations alone, repeated daily records make it possible to compare behavior across dates. This is one reason I continue to preserve long footage, even when the scenes are quiet or difficult to watch casually.

Other birds and wildlife were also present. A kingfisher appeared near the Uf family, and a group of starlings gathered noisily like a family group. There was also a duck that appeared to be a possible hybrid between an Eastern Spot-billed Duck and a Mallard, based on its bill color and overall impression. Such incidental observations help show the richness of a small urban river ecosystem.

Overall, this day’s record was a mixture of peaceful resting behavior, uncertainty, family separation, reunion, and the remarkable scale of a large brood. It also showed how difficult wildlife observation can be when many similar duck families live in the same river area. Identification often depends on plumage patterns, location, family size, and repeated comparison with footage from previous days.

For searchers interested in duck family behavior, duckling survival, urban wildlife, Eastern Spot-billed Ducks, or mother duck parental care, this record offers one small but detailed example from a real river environment.

Creatures observed in this record:

- カルガモ / Eastern Spot-billed Duck / Anas zonorhyncha  

  A common wild duck in Japan. This record focuses mainly on mothers and ducklings living in an urban river.

- カワセミ / Common Kingfisher / Alcedo atthis  

  A small, bright blue river bird often seen near clear water where it hunts fish.

- ムクドリ / White-cheeked Starling / Spodiopsar cineraceus  

  A familiar bird in Japan, often seen in noisy family or group gatherings.

- マガモ / Mallard / Anas platyrhynchos  

  Mentioned in relation to a possible hybrid duck. Mallards can hybridize with closely related ducks.

- マルガモ / Mallard × Eastern Spot-billed Duck hybrid / Anas platyrhynchos × Anas zonorhyncha  

  A possible hybrid individual was observed. Identification is tentative and based on visible features such as bill color and overall appearance.

- アカメガシワ / Japanese Mallotus / Mallotus japonicus  

  A riverside plant with distinctive young fruits. It was recorded as part of the surrounding habitat.

Timestamp Notes (For Personal Use) 00:00 Highlights 03:03 Xf5-23 Sleeping (Duck family Xf, 5 ducklings, 23 days old) 03:58 エf6-9 Waking up!? The moment they leave the nest 6 ducklings safe! 04:49 Oh? エf Mother sits again. Changing resting spot!? 05:04 Size difference between two ducklings is noticeable. Is the smaller one mixed with another family? 05:45 Ducklings sleep separately, but some are playing… 06:05 エf6 wakes up again Maybe the resting spot doesn’t feel right? 07:49 Young fruits of the Akamegashiwa tree. Such a strange shape. 09:18 エf6 moves around aimlessly. 10:21 Ff6-45 is sleeping. 6 ducklings confirmed. I waited for a while, but they didn’t move. 10:59 エf6 arrives and causes 2 ducklings to flee These two ducklings are confirmed to be from Ff family, but not sure if they're from エf, Gf, or Df. 11:37 A sleeping duck reacts to エf6, one flees, but the other stays motionless. 13:52 エf6 and 母 were persistent, but the sleeping duck wouldn’t move. So, they retreated. 14:56 Is エf6 going to sleep or not? エf6... They seemed to have six ducklings together earlier today. However, when there were only four, it was odd because I never saw five or more ducklings resting together. 17:05 エf Mother returns to her original resting spot. Duckling 4 joins the group! 17:58 The sleeping ducklings squirming around are simply adorable 18:23 Heads bobbing, bodies sliding 18:50 Duckling 5 joins the bed! Only one more to go! 19:25 Finally, all six ducklings are together! Sleeping peacefully There was some commotion with crows, but the mother duck remained calm. Only the ducklings seemed a little more alert. 21:06 I hear duckling calls from upstream… Are two ducklings lost? 22:05 They are calling and moving downstream together. It’s a rare sight for two ducklings to be calling and traveling downstream like this. The two ducklings I met earlier with エf6 might be the same ones, but I haven’t confirmed it yet. 23:04 エf6 resting spot and the lost ducklings. After walking upstream, I still couldn’t find Gf7, エf6, Df5, or Sf9... Maybe they’re in the bushes? 24:20 Uf1-23 I finally found them again! I couldn’t find Uf or アf3, but I started filming the bushes where I couldn’t see, and there they were! It’s always tough to find them in the bushes along the river. 26:06 Oh! There’s a Kingfisher, too, collaborating with Uf1! I was about to stop filming when I found the kingfisher, so I continued. 27:38 Starling family, playing together. I thought I found a new duck family, but it turned out to be a popular resting spot. 29:01 Xf5 has been resting since the start of the day. 29:30 Sleeping ducks and ducklings. It’s hard to tell who is who. They could be Cf3, Df捨4, or other ducks, but I couldn’t confirm. I decided to leave it for later. 31:42 Af13-55 Big family visible even from the bushes. 32:07 Bf捨1-52 They’ve grown, but the blue feathers aren’t visible yet. I was looking for a duckling around 30 days old that had no mother, but I couldn’t find it. 32:45 Duckling jump 33:13 The Water strider can’t catch up 34:49 Bf捨1 reaches the opposite bank. 37:14 ウf1-9 Only one duckling left with the mother… Yesterday, there were three, and now it looks like only one duckling remains with the mother. 38:47 Yesterday’s spot where the duckling was calling. Today, the mother is with them! The duckling, with a distinctive mark on its left eye, matches the one I saw yesterday. It’s sad the other one didn’t join, but it seems that ウf has just one duckling left. 40:56 ウf Mother appears to be elderly. Her feathers don’t repel water well and are disheveled even after drying. 41:22 Close-up of the beak; it looks wrinkled. I wonder if other people who keep ducks can tell? 42:12 Bf捨1 is active again. It just woke up earlier, so why is it moving now? 42:49 Af13 took over the resting spot 44:33 Quiz: Find 14 ducks (mother + 13 ducklings). 45:26 Quiz: Which one is the mother duck? 46:28 This is the mother duck (second from the left). Notice the fine detail in her chest markings I was hoping the separated duckling would join, but it didn’t move. 47:43 I find a duckling older than 30 days without a mother. Could it be Mf1? Given the location, it's more likely to be a lost duckling from Mf1. I’ll wait a bit to confirm, and if I find Mf1, it will be clear. 48:34 Ah… Mf Mother! She’s calling out while swimming, searching for the ducklings!! I instinctively thought it was Mf Mother based on the way she was calling, and I was right! The same gestures I saw with Af Mother yesterday. 49:02 Mf Mother and possibly Mf ducklings react and call out! They don’t notice each other yet. 49:38 Mf Mother swims and takes a break after not finding her ducklings. They stay hidden in the bushes. This duckling could be the one from yesterday that got lost. I want to ensure they reunite, but it’s taking longer than expected. 52:28 The duckling calls, but Mf Mother doesn’t return. This was precious footage where Mf Mother flies off after hearing the call. I thought they might reunite, but unfortunately, she flew off. 54:22 Af13 resting from afar. 55:33 イf4-31 No climbing down the dam. I gave up on Mf and decided to look for more ducklings, and then I found this. 57:43 A duckling alone without a mother... Could it be Mf1? I noticed the duckling near the dam. I’ll keep looking. 1:00:31 The duckling calls… they seem to be aware of each other’s presence. 1:01:30 The duckling heads towards the dam. 1:02:07 Mf Mother notices! A rare moment! She double-checks? I thought she would fly immediately but instead swam over to meet the duckling. 1:03:19 Mf Mother and the duckling finally reunite… The duckling is a bit aloof This confirms the duckling is from Mf1. At first, I thought it was another duckling, but it seems it was Mf1 all along! 1:04:13 イf Mother charges at other ducks near Df捨4’s resting spot 1:05:07 This seems to be Df捨4. One duckling disappears, it’s a bit eerie. 1:06:51 イf4’s ducklings swim, with the mother resting behind them, but they follow her. 1:08:34 Looks like a hybrid male duck (between カルガモ and マガモ). It’s not Bf Father. Its beak color is a dull yellowish brown. 1:09:18 Tf8-27, but I can’t see the mother or the remaining ducklings. 1:09:53 Tf Mother appears! So glad to identify her by her forehead markings. 1:10:06 Tf8 enjoys some quiet feeding under the bridge. Duck Family Identification System Since there are too many families, I identify the mother ducks by their wing markings (three flight feathers) and symbols. Duck Families List: https://okasinaikimono.blogspot.com/2025/07/0703f.html