Ducklings Overcome River Obstacles: A Day of Growth, Mystery, and Family Life in Eastern Spot-billed Ducks

 Watching Wild Duck Families Grow: Daily Field Notes from an Urban River

Every day brings a different story.

On this observation day, I documented several families of Eastern Spot-billed Ducks (Karugamo) living along the same urban river. Young ducklings practiced climbing river structures, mothers made unexpected decisions, older families rested quietly in hidden places, and several encounters raised new questions about parental behavior and social interactions.

Although none of these events alone would necessarily be considered extraordinary, together they provide another valuable piece of a long-term record documenting how wild duck families adapt to an urban environment.

This article is based on video recorded on the day of observation. The footage is published with minimal editing as a permanent daily record. Rather than presenting a scientific conclusion, these notes reflect observations made by a long-term wildlife watcher who has continued documenting the same river and many individual duck families over multiple years. Whenever interpretations are included, they should be regarded as personal observations rather than established scientific facts.

The identification codes used for each duck family and the filming date codes are explained here:

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

A Morning of Sleeping Families

The day began with the discovery of the Sf9 family peacefully resting together.

Despite the distance, all nine ducklings could still be confirmed. Watching an entire brood resting quietly may seem uneventful, but these moments are surprisingly valuable. Families often disappear into vegetation or leave the area before they can be relocated, making opportunities to verify that every duckling is still present especially meaningful.

As temperatures continue to rise in early summer, periods of prolonged resting appear to become increasingly common among the older ducklings.

Young Moorhens Continue to Mature

Another pleasant surprise came from a Common Moorhen family.

The chicks, now around 45 days old, had already changed dramatically from the dark, fluffy appearance of newly hatched birds. Juveniles were beginning to spend more time exploring independently, yet interactions with their parents still suggested that the family unit remained intact.

One particularly interesting observation was the repeated calling of an adult hidden within dense vegetation. This vocal behavior stood out because it is not something I frequently encounter during my daily observations.

Repeated Practice at River Obstacles

One of the most enjoyable parts of the day involved several duck families negotiating small river barriers.

The Sf9 family first descended a step before unexpectedly turning around and climbing back up again. Observing both directions during a single visit was unusual and provided another reminder that these structures are not simply obstacles—they are part of the family's daily route.

Later, the Xf5 family also attempted a similar climb, requiring several efforts before successfully reaching the top.

The younger Ef6 family faced the same challenge twice during the day. Several ducklings initially struggled, but by the second attempt they appeared noticeably more efficient, choosing better routes and adjusting their approach after previous failures.

Whether this represents learning, changing water conditions, or simple persistence is impossible to determine from a single observation. However, documenting these repeated attempts over many days provides valuable context that might otherwise be overlooked.

A Hidden Resting Place

One particularly memorable moment occurred when the Ef6 family entered what I have come to think of as a "hidden base."

The ducklings disappeared into dense riverside vegetation, followed by the mother herself. I do not often observe an entire family entering this sheltered location together, making this behavior especially interesting.

Such protected resting areas may play an important role in reducing exposure to predators or human disturbance, although this remains only a personal observation based on repeated visits to the site.

An Unusual Encounter Between Two Mothers

Perhaps the most intriguing event of the day involved two adult female ducks.

The mother of the Df family approached the Ef mother while leaving her own ducklings elsewhere. Instead of immediately displaying obvious aggression or avoiding one another, both females remained nearby for a period before eventually flying away in succession.

At first I could not identify the approaching female with certainty. Only after reviewing the footage later did I realize she belonged to the Df family.

Even after replaying the sequence several times, I found it difficult to categorize the interaction as either a territorial conflict or simple avoidance. The behavior appeared more subtle than many encounters I have documented previously.

Because I observe these families almost every day, moments like this become especially valuable. Individual observations may seem ambiguous, but accumulated over weeks or months they sometimes reveal recurring behavioral patterns.

Temporary Separation of Mother and Ducklings

Another recurring feature involved the Ef family becoming temporarily separated.

On more than one occasion the mother moved away while the ducklings remained behind, apparently unaware that she had left. Similar situations have occurred previously with this same family.

Interestingly, temporary separation by the mother appears relatively uncommon among the other families using this section of the river. Whether this reflects differences in individual parenting style, environmental circumstances, or coincidence remains entirely uncertain.

For now, it is simply another observation added to the growing record.

Comparing Ducklings of Different Ages

Throughout the afternoon, younger ducklings frequently passed near families almost seven weeks older than themselves.

These accidental side-by-side encounters dramatically highlighted differences in body size, proportions, confidence, and mobility.

Because multiple families of different ages occupy the same river simultaneously, opportunities like these provide a unique visual timeline of development that would be difficult to appreciate by observing only one family.

Questions That Remain Unanswered

Several families expected to be present were surprisingly difficult to locate.

Some remained asleep throughout nearly the entire observation period, while others simply never appeared despite extensive searching.

This uncertainty is an unavoidable part of documenting free-ranging wildlife.

Not every question receives an answer on the same day.

Instead, today's observations become context for tomorrow's search.

Long-Term Observation as Circumstantial Evidence

One important aspect of this project is continuity.

Rather than producing only carefully selected highlights, I publish daily filming records with minimal editing whenever possible. Recording events on the day they occur creates a chronological archive that cannot easily be altered afterward, allowing previous observations to serve as circumstantial evidence when interpreting later behavior.

The conclusions presented here should therefore be viewed not as scientific proof, but as careful notes accumulated through continuous observation of the same urban ecosystem over many years.

Perhaps the greatest value of this project lies not in any single dramatic event, but in preserving countless ordinary moments that together reveal how wild animals live, adapt, and raise their young alongside people in an urban landscape.

Species Observed

• カルガモ

  English: Eastern Spot-billed Duck

  Scientific name: Anas zonorhyncha

  A resident duck species in East Asia whose family behavior provides excellent opportunities for long-term observation of parental care and duckling development.

• バン

  English: Common Moorhen

  Scientific name: Gallinula chloropus

  A wetland bird whose chicks gradually change from black downy juveniles into more independent young birds over several weeks.

• カワセミ

  English: Common Kingfisher

  Scientific name: Alcedo atthis

  A small fish-eating bird frequently encountered along rivers, often perching quietly before making rapid dives for prey.

• コイ

  English: Common Carp

  Scientific name: Cyprinus carpio

  Large freshwater fish that often share shallow river habitats with waterfowl and occasionally influence duckling movements.

• カワラバト

  English: Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon)

  Scientific name: Columba livia

  Common urban birds whose bathing and resting behavior frequently overlaps with that of waterbirds along riverbanks.

• ニイニイゼミ

  English: Niinii Cicada

  Scientific name: Platypleura kaempferi

  One of the earliest cicadas to begin calling in the Japanese summer, serving as a seasonal indicator during wildlife observations.