Spot-billed Duck Ducklings Leap into the River: Summer Behavior, Crow Parenting, and Unexpected Bird Encounters

 # Spot-billed Duck Ducklings Leap into the River: Summer Behavior, Crow Parenting, and Unexpected Bird Encounters

## Watching Urban Wildlife Change Every Day

One of the most fascinating aspects of observing wild birds is how quickly their behavior changes from one day to the next.

On this midsummer observation day, I recorded several Spot-billed Duck families living along an urban river. The highlight was a family of eight ducklings (Tf8), whose young boldly jumped into the river on their own. Alongside this, I witnessed parent-offspring interactions in Large-billed Crows, unusually close encounters between Spot-billed Ducks and White-cheeked Starlings, and many small moments that together illustrate the complexity of urban wildlife.

This article summarizes the observations from that day. The interpretations presented here are personal observations made by a long-term wildlife observer rather than a professional ornithologist. They are intended as field notes based on continuous daily documentation rather than definitive scientific conclusions.

Because I publish my raw footage on or near the day it is recorded, these videos also serve as chronological evidence that cannot easily be altered later. Over months and years, these daily records provide valuable context for interpreting behavioral changes that would be difficult to notice from a single observation alone.

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## Ducklings Continue to Grow Surprisingly Fast

Several duck families showed clear signs of rapid development.

The Gf7 family, now 47 days old, displayed increasingly developed wing movements and relaxed resting behavior. Their wing-flapping has become noticeably stronger compared to only a week earlier, suggesting continued preparation for eventual flight.

The Pf2 family reached approximately one month of age, while the recently expanded エf6 family successfully remained at six ducklings one day after the increase in brood size. Continued observations will reveal whether this composition remains stable.

These kinds of consecutive daily records are particularly valuable because brood size sometimes changes unexpectedly through predation, separation, or adoption.

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## An Unusual Encounter Between Spot-billed Ducks and White-cheeked Starlings

One of the most memorable moments occurred when a flock of White-cheeked Starlings landed extremely close to the resting Gf7 family.

The birds briefly shared the same space with remarkable tolerance. Dragonflies were also flying nearby, creating an unusually peaceful scene involving multiple species.

On the previous day I had also noticed starlings gathering near ducks, but such close proximity remains relatively uncommon in my observations.

Young ducklings often run toward smaller birds out of curiosity, so prolonged peaceful coexistence at such a short distance caught my attention.

At one point a starling came so close that it almost appeared to touch the mother duck's bill before she reacted defensively. Although brief, this illustrated how quickly personal space is enforced even when no serious aggression follows.

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## Resting Behavior During Extreme Summer Heat

Many duck families appeared to prioritize finding cool resting locations rather than actively feeding.

The Tf8 family rested beneath a bridge, an area offering shade from the intense summer sun. Later, they unexpectedly moved farther downstream before eventually returning to more active behavior.

Af13 also spent considerable time searching for a comfortable resting site. Before settling down, the ducklings bathed and drifted slowly through the water with little urgency.

Compared with cooler months, hot summer days often seem to reduce movement during midday, although this impression is based only on repeated personal observations and should not be considered a confirmed behavioral pattern.

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## Mother Ducks Continue to Communicate with Their Ducklings

One family that particularly stood out was Lf4.

The mother repeatedly produced short, clear vocalizations directed toward her ducklings. These calls sounded noticeably different from the low growling calls often heard during alert situations.

Interestingly, another mother duck on the opposite bank appeared to respond to some of these calls.

Whether this represented territorial awareness, simple alertness, or another form of communication remains uncertain, but repeated observations suggest that vocal communication among Spot-billed Ducks may be more varied than is commonly appreciated.

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## A Crow Family Provides an Opportunity to Observe Learning

The afternoon also produced several memorable observations involving Large-billed Crows.

A young crow cautiously attempted bathing in shallow water, clearly lacking the confidence of the accompanying adult.

Soon afterward, the parent demonstrated proper bathing behavior before later delivering what appeared to be a moth to the juvenile.

Watching this sequence—practice, observation, demonstration, and feeding—offered an interesting glimpse into how young birds gradually acquire everyday survival skills through parental guidance.

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## Ducklings Dive into the River on Their Own

The day's most exciting moment came from the Tf8 family.

After spending time resting in the shade, the ducklings approached the riverbank and voluntarily jumped into the water one after another.

Rather than hesitating, each duckling committed to the descent with surprising confidence.

Although the height was modest, seeing such small birds willingly enter the river emphasized how rapidly their confidence and physical abilities continue to develop.

This behavior may reflect increasing familiarity with their environment after several weeks of life, although additional observations across multiple families would be needed before drawing broader conclusions.

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## Why Continuous Daily Documentation Matters

Many interesting wildlife behaviors become meaningful only when viewed across consecutive days.

A brood increasing in size, a mother changing her vocalizations, a family altering its preferred resting location, or ducklings suddenly attempting behaviors they had never shown before—all of these patterns emerge through continuous observation rather than isolated encounters.

For that reason, nearly all of my field recordings are published with minimal editing. Besides serving as a personal archive, they also function as time-stamped documentation that preserves the original sequence of events.

The identification codes used for duck families and observation dates are explained separately on the project guide:

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

As additional days accumulate, these observations become increasingly valuable as contextual evidence for understanding the lives of individual duck families over time.

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## Species Observed

- カルガモ

  - English: Eastern Spot-billed Duck

  - Scientific name: Anas zonorhyncha

  - A resident East Asian duck species whose family behavior can be followed continuously throughout the breeding season.

- ハシボソガラス

  - English: Large-billed Crow

  - Scientific name: Corvus macrorhynchos

  - Highly intelligent birds whose parental care and learning behavior are often visible in urban environments.

- ムクドリ

  - English: White-cheeked Starling

  - Scientific name: Spodiopsar cineraceus

  - A common East Asian starling that frequently gathers around open riverbanks and grassy areas.

- ハクセキレイ

  - English: White Wagtail

  - Scientific name: Motacilla alba

  - Frequently observed collecting insects while raising nestlings during summer.

- カワウ

  - English: Great Cormorant

  - Scientific name: Nannopterum carbo

  - A fish-eating waterbird capable of powerful sustained flight along rivers.

- ハグロトンボ

  - English: Broad-winged Damselfly

  - Scientific name: Calopteryx atrata

  - A distinctive damselfly commonly found along clean streams during summer.

- モンキアゲハ（推定）

  - English: Great Mormon

  - Scientific name: Papilio memnon

  - One of Asia's largest swallowtail butterflies, widely distributed across East and Southeast Asia. Identification in this observation remains tentative.

Timestamp & Notes (For Personal Use) 00:00 Highlights 03:03 Gf7-47 - Growing up fast! 03:46 Will they climb!? They didn’t. 05:48 47-day-old duckling flapping its wings! Preparing for a nap. 06:58 Oh, I see Ff6, Pf2, and Ef6! 07:45 Ff6-43 08:35 Pf2-30 - I haven't seen you in a while! Congrats on one month! 10:06 Ef6-7 - It increased to 6 ducklings yesterday, continuing strong. Congrats on one week! 11:49 It’s noisy… A female duck was being chased. I recorded this because the wings were distinct, but it wasn't one I recognized. 13:49 A cormorant flies away! How envious, such a leap! 14:53 Watching starlings take a bath, so cute. 16:03 A starling flies away… Wait!? It’s with Gf7! I also saw a large dragonfly in this scene. I love such moments! Yesterday, I also saw starlings gathering around the ducks, but this was closer than usual. (Ducklings often charge at starlings). 17:30 Gf7 and the starling kiss!? Gf7 seems angry. 19:15 Gf7 wakes up from its nap and starts stretching. The sleepyhead was Gf mother. I was waiting for her to climb the weir, but she didn’t. 24:49 Triple water slides Four ducklings stop. Gf7 25:30 Xf5-21 - Congratulations on three weeks! I thought they weren’t around, but they were further downstream. 28:00 Df5 waking up, startled by father duck (mother was already awake). 30:48 White wagtail and duckling (3 weeks old) - At first, they were about the same size. 31:15 Wagtail mother flies off to gather food, probably with ducklings in the nest. 31:38 Af3-13 - Sleeping alone. 31:59 Fly trap! A fly almost lands on the duckling, causing it to go mad! 32:27 Oh no! Af mother returns! She might have been nearby in the bushes? 34:14 Neck stretch! 35:49 Both feet straight out 37:15 The trio of ducklings is so cute! 38:55 Hooded crow searching for food. 39:58 Weir! The crow flies... Oh! It's a family! 41:17 The young crow tries to bathe! Clumsy and cute 43:01 The parent crow demonstrates the bathing technique. 44:04 The crow family feeds. It's a moth! 44:38 Crow family and Eastern Spot-billed Duck family together. Close, but Af3 stays relaxed. 47:15 Both feet straight out I wanted to see Af3 move, but it stayed still. 48:16 Cf3-50 - Congratulations on 50 days! 48:58 Could it be a Monkey Swallowtail? Their movements are so cute! The Monkey Swallowtail is the largest swallowtail butterfly in Japan. I hope viewers from overseas will enjoy this moment too. 49:58 Tf8 napping under the bridge for some shade! It’s unusual to see a duck resting under the bridge this year. 50:38 Lf4-32 - Mother duck was calling loudly! Lf4 is a regular here, but recently they’ve been going farther downstream, so I’m happy they returned. The mother duck's calls were not her usual groaning, but more urgent-sounding calls, as if communicating with her ducklings. Cf mother on the opposite bank responded. 54:43 Tf8 wakes up and heads out! I thought they were heading upstream, but they came back downstream. 55:28 Af13-53 - Looks like they are considering where to nap. 56:56 Mf1-33 - Great to see you again today! The white feathers on their wings are so noticeable. At first, I thought it was Rf1, but after seeing the right wing, I think it’s Mf mother. Based on the past records, it’s likely Mf1. 57:15 Af13 leisurely swims. They were bathing before their nap, and it looked like they were heading out again. Maybe it’s because of the heat, but they seem to be looking for a good napping spot. 1:00:21 Df捨4-45 - All ducklings are fine! I managed to capture Ef6 and Gf7 quite a bit today, but it might be the last time I get to see them. While filming Df5, I was also hoping to capture these abandoned ducklings together. 1:00:53 Oh! Tf8 went down to the river. Unusual. 1:04:05 The rice field water is flowing in, maybe more food here? 1:05:53 Ducklings jump into the water by themselves!! Tf8 Duck Family Identification Chart For identifying mother ducks by their feather patterns (secondary feathers), here’s the chart: https://okasinaikimono.blogspot.com/2025/07/0701f.html