Why Do Mother Spot-billed Ducks Fight? Hidden Ducklings, Morning Stretching, and Daily Family Behavior Observed in the Wild
# Why Do Mother Spot-billed Ducks Fight? Hidden Ducklings, Morning Stretching, and Daily Family Behavior Observed in the Wild
Watching a wild duck family over many consecutive days often reveals behaviors that would be impossible to notice during a single visit. One of the most fascinating aspects of long-term observation is seeing how ordinary family routines can suddenly change into moments of tension, while small, seemingly insignificant behaviors provide valuable clues about their daily lives.
In this record, I observed a family of Eastern Spot-billed Ducks (*Anas zonorhyncha*) resting quietly in riverside vegetation before witnessing an unexpected territorial confrontation between adult females. At the same time, the ducklings displayed remarkably calm behavior by remaining hidden and waiting for their mother rather than following her into danger. The morning also provided several charming examples of stretching behavior immediately after waking, including one duckling that appeared to lose its balance during a stretch.
This article documents these events as part of a continuous daily observation project rather than as isolated wildlife encounters.
---
## Video Record
---
## Main Species Featured
### カルガモ
**English:** Eastern Spot-billed Duck
**Scientific name:** *Anas zonorhyncha*
A common freshwater duck native to East Asia. Because males and females look very similar, identifying individual mothers requires long-term observation of plumage patterns, behavior, and family composition.
---
### スズメ
**English:** Eurasian Tree Sparrow
**Scientific name:** *Passer montanus*
A familiar bird throughout East Asia. Water bathing is an important maintenance behavior that helps birds regulate feather condition and remove dirt and parasites.
---
### コイ
**English:** Common Carp
**Scientific name:** *Cyprinus carpio*
Large freshwater fish frequently found in Japanese rivers. Although harmless to these older ducklings, their large size often creates interesting interactions with resting ducks.
---
### クサガメ
**English:** Reeve's Turtle
**Scientific name:** *Mauremys reevesii*
A common freshwater turtle in Japan. Individuals often remain motionless and slowly withdraw their heads when approached.
---
## Observation Record
The morning began with a search for several duck families that had been observed on previous days. One family reunited the previous day could not be located despite checking a nearby tributary, and another family that had climbed a weir several days earlier was also absent. These repeated searches, including unsuccessful ones, form an important part of documenting the movements of individual families over time.
Eventually, another familiar family was discovered resting beneath dense riverside vegetation.
The mother, identified as family **キf3**, remained quietly beside her three approximately 15-day-old ducklings while they continued sleeping in the shade. The location appeared to provide a comfortable shelter from direct sunlight, and even the presence of large Common Carp swimming nearby did not disturb their rest.
As the family slowly woke up, several interesting maintenance behaviors became visible.
The mother performed a full-body stretching sequence before departure, followed by the ducklings. One duckling briefly lost its balance during a stretch and immediately recovered, creating an unexpectedly amusing moment. Shortly afterward, the ducklings stretched their wings before the family began moving together. Although these actions lasted only a few seconds, they offer a glimpse into the normal morning routine of a wild duck family that is rarely documented in detail.
After leaving the resting area, the family encountered another adult female duck.
Initially, the mother became visibly alert while the ducklings stopped moving and waited behind her. A few moments later, the mother quietly advanced toward the other female, leading to a brief confrontation.
Interestingly, the ducklings did not rush toward the conflict. Instead, they remained hidden until their mother returned, after which the family calmly regrouped and continued downstream.
The displaced female repeatedly relocated beneath the downstream edges of riverside vegetation. On several occasions she chose similar positions beneath overhanging plants while feeding on aquatic algae. Whether this reflected a preferred sheltering strategy or was simply a response to repeated disturbance is impossible to determine from these observations alone, but the repeated choice of nearly identical locations was noteworthy.
Later, the same mother and ducklings encountered the female again. This second meeting passed peacefully, suggesting that the earlier conflict had already been resolved or that both birds simply chose to avoid further escalation.
The remainder of the survey documented several other duck families using different parts of the river system. One family originating from a nearby pond was finally observed reaching an area where such families often appear later in the breeding season. Although the mother could be located, her ducklings remained extremely difficult to see, illustrating how dense riverside vegetation can complicate even daily monitoring efforts.
Other observations included small fish swimming along the riverbank and a Reeve's Turtle quietly withdrawing its head as I approached.
As the breeding season progresses, several families that have been followed for weeks are beginning to disappear from the study area. Some have likely graduated from parental care, while others have shifted to different sections of the river. Long-term observation gradually transforms these daily records into evidence of seasonal change, revealing not only dramatic events but also subtle shifts in habitat use, family movements, and behavior that would otherwise go unnoticed.
---
## About This Observation
This article is based on continuous day-by-day field observations conducted while documenting wild birds in the same river system over an extended period. The videos are recorded on the actual observation dates and published in chronological order, allowing them to serve as supporting evidence for seasonal movements and behavioral changes observed across multiple days.
The behavioral interpretations presented here represent personal observations made by a long-term wildlife observer rather than conclusions from formal scientific research. Whenever possible, observations are compared with previous recordings collected from the same location over multiple breeding seasons.
---
## Understanding the Observation Codes
The observation records use original identification codes for both filming dates and individual duck families.
- Date codes record the filming date.
- Duck family codes identify individual mothers, the number of ducklings, and the ducklings' approximate age, allowing the same families to be tracked throughout the breeding season.
A detailed explanation of these codes and the purpose of this long-term observation project can be found here:
https://okasinaikimono.blogspot.com/p/welcome-to-wild-duck-diaries.html
It looks so refreshing.
After this, I searched the tributary for オf2, whom I had seen again yesterday, but couldn't find them. Neither オf2 nor ケf2 was anywhere to be seen. I suspect they've moved farther upstream in the tributary, but since I've tried searching there many times in the past without success, I decided not to. I also never found キf3, who had climbed the weir the day before yesterday. So instead, I searched downstream, hoping to find オf and ケf...
04:32 Ducks in the resting area... It's Mother キf! I can see the ducklings too...
05:06 キf3-15 — All 3 ducklings are visible! The mother and ducklings seem comfortable resting in the shade of the bushes. I'll wait for them to wake up while exploring the surroundings.
06:32 I thought it was a grown duck family... but apparently not.
I originally noticed a single female duck standing there and started filming her, but then several ducks suddenly appeared. It seems another group of ducks happened to pass by, though the female did not join them.
This female had distinctive feather markings, so I filmed her quite a bit. However, she doesn't match any recorded mother duck in my records.
07:35 キf3 is still sleeping peacefully, even surrounded by koi.
08:09 Mother キf stretches! Watching until the family gets ready to leave. 
08:39 ★ A duckling stumbles during its stretch, then tries to pretend nothing happened.
08:53 ★ After a little wing-flap from a duckling, the family sets off together!! Confirmed: 3 ducklings.
It was important to see whether they would head upstream or downstream after waking up... They chose downstream. Perhaps the area above the weir wasn't comfortable for them after all. I probably won't see them here very often in the future...
11:21 ★ キf3 climbs down a small ledge.
12:21 ★ キf3 encounters the female duck from earlier... Mother キf becomes alert...
12:42 ★ Mother キf quietly charges, leading to a confrontation. The ducklings wait, then reunite with her.
13:44 The female that was chased away moves to the downstream edge of the next patch of bushes. (Does she prefer places like this?)
14:03 The female senses キf3 approaching and moves again.
15:33 The female retreats once more to the downstream edge of the next bush, where she is seen feeding on algae.
16:57 Watching as キf3 approaches again.
18:08 This time, キf3 passes peacefully.
19:24 イf4-54 and Of2-55
23:35 Mother Uf climbs onto the tetrapods! Where are the ducklings?
The duck family from the pond has finally reached this area. It took them a while, but this is the usual destination for families raised in the pond. The local duck watchers were delighted when I told them. They said they wanted to come and see them, but I advised against it. 
Even though I'm here every day, there are many days when I can't even find Uf1 myself.
I'd like to film the whole family together, but they hardly move.
25:25 Uf1-46
25:45 Small fish are visible.
25:57 ★ A turtle! It quietly pulls its head back into its shell.
Uf1 didn't react at all!
26:53 Tf8 is at the resting area. The view is poor, so this is all I could record.
▲▲▲ End of timestamps.
So, in the end, キf3, who had climbed back into the nursery area twice before, had returned downstream again. I couldn't find オf2, who was here yesterday, and ケf2 is still nowhere to be seen. Of2 and イf4 seem to be doing well, but I've hardly seen Lf4 anymore, while Uf1 has started expanding into this area. Since the other duck families besides キf3 will likely fledge soon as well, things are about to become much quieter here.
Still, today's observations were rewarding. I was able to record the ducklings sleeping beneath their mother, Mother キf's brave behavior, and an interesting pattern from the female she chased away, who consistently preferred staying at the downstream edge of the bushes.
There are so many duck families that I identify each mother by her unique feather pattern and identification code. (Reference list below)
https://okasinaikimono.blogspot.com/2025/07/0726f.html
Comments