In urban river habitats, duck families sometimes create stories that look miraculous at first glance—but behind those moments, there may also be confusion, loss, and unresolved family bonds.
This observation record follows a complex day involving multiple Eastern Spot-billed Duck families, possible duckling adoption, territorial tension between mother ducks, mixed broods, abandoned juveniles, crow families, and the remarkable wing development of a large brood nearing independence.
The footage was recorded on July 5, 2025, under the filming record code 0705F. As with my other daily wildlife records, this video is not a polished documentary made from selected scenes alone. It is part of a continuous personal field record, filmed with ultra-telephoto cameras and preserved with minimal editing. By keeping daily footage and timestamps, I try to leave situational evidence that can be reviewed across dates, rather than relying only on memory or isolated impressions.
I am not a professional ornithologist. These notes are based on long-term amateur observation of wild duck families in the same urban river system. Some interpretations remain uncertain, and I try to separate direct observation from personal inference.
For details about my filming record codes, date codes, and duck family identification codes, please see:
https://okasinaikimono.blogspot.com/p/welcome-to-wild-duck-diaries.html
## A Possible Real Mother Searching for Her Duckling
The most emotionally difficult scene of the day involved the family recorded as Ef6-11.
At first, the six ducklings appeared to behave as one stable family. However, another female duck repeatedly approached them in a way that did not look like ordinary aggression. She seemed especially focused on the ducklings and continued to follow them persistently.
At first, I interpreted the situation as a threat to the Ef family. But as the scene continued, the behavior began to look different. The approaching female did not appear to attack the ducklings directly. Instead, she seemed almost as if she was trying to reach or reclaim one of them.
This led to a painful possibility: she may have been the original mother of one of the ducklings that had previously joined the Ef brood.
The Ef mother blocked her approach, and the six ducklings continued to recognize Ef as their mother. Even when two ducklings became briefly separated, the approaching female moved toward them, but the ducklings rejected her and returned to the Ef side.
If this female really was the original mother, the scene was not simply a “miracle adoption.” It was also a record of a mother arriving too late.
The Ef family had originally been observed with four ducklings. Later, one duckling appeared to have joined, and then another. By the time of this recording, the six-duckling group had already been stable for about a week. From the ducklings’ perspective, Ef may have already become their mother.
This kind of mixed brood can look heartwarming because an unrelated duckling survives by joining another family. But the other side of that miracle may be a real family separation.
## Three Duck Families in Chaos
Another remarkable sequence involved three duck families: Df5, Xf5, and Gf7.
These families were resting or moving close together, and the boundary between family groups became difficult to follow. At one point, older juveniles from Df5 appeared near the younger Xf5 brood. A Df juvenile threatened an Xf duckling, causing the Xf mother to react strongly. The Df mother also responded, creating a tense and chaotic scene.
Soon after, Gf7, which had been resting nearby, was disturbed as Xf5 approached. Then Df5 entered the area where Gf7 had been sleeping, and the families became visually mixed.
In these moments, it can be difficult even for the observer to track which juvenile belongs to which family. The mothers may also not always seem to control every detail of the situation. In the footage, the young ducks themselves appeared to play an important role in regrouping.
Eventually, Gf7 managed to gather together again, while their sleeping place seemed to be taken over by Df5.
This sequence shows how crowded urban river habitats can create repeated contact between duck families. Family recognition, spacing, aggression, and avoidance all become visible when several broods share the same limited resting areas.
## Abandoned Ducklings and Crow Families in the Same Frame
The group recorded as Df捨4-29 was also observed swimming together as four juveniles.
Nearby, a family of Carrion Crows appeared and seemed to be practicing foraging. This created a very rare combination in the same observation area: abandoned duck juveniles and a crow family.
Because these ducklings no longer had an obvious mother present, the scene may be difficult for casual viewers to understand. Without long-term records, it would be easy to overlook the significance of the moment. But in a continuous observation series, even such quiet scenes become important evidence of survival after family disruption.
## The Return of Yf3 After Heavy Rain
A very welcome discovery was Yf3-32, a family that had not been seen since the heavy rain around June 25.
After searching both upstream and downstream without success, I had nearly given up on finding them again. Their reappearance suggests that the family may have moved far downstream during the high water and later settled again, or perhaps gradually returned.
This is one reason daily observation matters. A family that seems to have disappeared may not always be dead or lost permanently. Sometimes they have simply shifted to another section of the river.
## Af13 and the First Strong Signs of Flight
The most inspiring moment of the day came from Af13-57, a large brood of thirteen juveniles.
All thirteen were confirmed alive. At 57 days old, they were now large and well developed. Several juveniles suddenly began wing-flapping, and one moment looked like early flight practice.
The camera only captured part of the scene, but I saw the most impressive moment directly with my own eyes. The juveniles spread and beat their wings together, showing the strength they had gained after nearly two months of survival.
Later, the Af mother flew away downstream, leaving the juveniles behind. At this age, such temporary separation no longer feels as dangerous as it would for small ducklings. The young birds are no longer helpless chicks; they are approaching independence.
For a brood of thirteen to reach this stage in an urban river environment is extraordinary. Their wing-flapping was not only beautiful, but also a visible sign of survival, growth, and the approaching end of the family-rearing period.
## Why This Record Matters
This day included joy, confusion, conflict, and sadness.
A duckling joining another family may be a miracle of survival. But if another mother is still searching, that miracle may also contain tragedy. A crowded river can support many duck families, but it can also create competition, misidentification, brood mixing, and stress.
These observations are not controlled scientific studies. They are field notes from one observer following the same river almost every day. However, by preserving long daily records, timestamps, family codes, and cross-date evidence, it becomes possible to notice patterns that a single short video could never show.
The value of this record lies not in certainty, but in continuity.
## Species Observed
- カルガモ / Eastern Spot-billed Duck / Anas zonorhyncha
The main species in this observation. Multiple families were recorded, including mixed broods, older juveniles, and mothers showing different levels of aggression and tolerance.
- マルガモ / Mallard × Eastern Spot-billed Duck hybrid / Anas platyrhynchos × Anas zonorhyncha
A hybrid duck was observed alone. In Japan, hybrids between Mallards and Eastern Spot-billed Ducks are sometimes seen in urban rivers.
- マガモ / Mallard / Anas platyrhynchos
Mentioned as one parent species of the hybrid duck. Mallards are closely related to Eastern Spot-billed Ducks and can hybridize with them.
- ハシボソガラス / Carrion Crow / Corvus corone
A crow family was observed, including young birds that appeared to be practicing foraging behavior.
- ハシブトガラス / Large-billed Crow / Corvus macrorhynchos
A pair or family was present nearby and appeared to be in conflict with the Carrion Crows. One nest was located on a nearby steel tower.
- カワウ / Great Cormorant / Phalacrocorax carbo
A cormorant was recorded taking off from the river area. This species is commonly seen diving for fish in Japanese rivers.
- カワラバト / Rock Dove / Columba livia
Pigeons were seen near the water’s edge, likely using the riverside as a cooler resting place during hot weather.
- コイ / Common Carp / Cyprinus carpio
Carp were observed moving upstream. Large fish are a regular part of the urban river ecosystem and often share space with duck families.
- キョウチクトウ / Oleander / Nerium oleander
A shrub area used as cover by duck families. It is not an animal, but it formed part of the resting and hiding environment in this observation.
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