Mother Ducks Leaving Their Ducklings Behind: Unedited Field Observations of Eastern Spot-billed Duck Families

 # Mother Ducks Leaving Their Ducklings Behind: Unedited Field Observations of Eastern Spot-billed Duck Families

Urban wildlife often reveals behaviors that appear surprising at first glance. One such behavior is the repeated temporary absence of a mother duck while her ducklings quietly wait together. This field record documents several families of Eastern Spot-billed Ducks (Anas zonorhyncha), focusing on prolonged parental absence, duckling behavior, resting sites, flock movements during molt, and encounters with other bird species in an urban river ecosystem.

Recorded with a Nikon P1100/P950 super-telephoto camera, this nearly unedited wildlife footage preserves natural animal behavior without narration, music, or staged scenes. It serves as a long-term field observation archive documenting the daily lives of urban birds.

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# Species Featured

### Eastern Spot-billed Duck

- Japanese: カルガモ

- English: Eastern Spot-billed Duck

- Scientific name: *Anas zonorhyncha*

A common East Asian waterfowl frequently found in rivers, ponds, and wetlands. Females raise their ducklings alone, and families may travel long distances while searching for food or safe resting areas. Temporary separation between the mother and ducklings is a natural behavior observed during brood-rearing.

### White Wagtail

- Japanese: ハクセキレイ

- English: White Wagtail

- Scientific name: *Motacilla alba*

A slender insect-eating songbird commonly seen walking along riverbanks and urban waterways while searching for insects.

### Great Reed Warbler

- Japanese: オオヨシキリ

- English: Great Reed Warbler

- Scientific name: *Acrocephalus orientalis*

A reedbed specialist well known for its loud territorial song during the breeding season. Despite its conspicuous calls, it often remains hidden deep within dense vegetation.

### Rose-ringed Parakeet

- Japanese: ワカケホンセイインコ

- English: Rose-ringed Parakeet

- Scientific name: *Psittacula krameri*

An introduced parakeet now established in parts of Japan. Its loud calls often reveal its presence before it becomes visible.

### Carrion Crow

- Japanese: ハシボソガラス・ハシブトガラス（species not confirmed）

- English: Crow

- Scientific name: *Corvus* spp.

Highly intelligent birds commonly observed in urban environments, often engaging in territorial disputes and complex social interactions.

### Chinese Hibiscus

- Japanese: フヨウ

- English: Chinese Hibiscus

- Scientific name: *Hibiscus mutabilis*

A flowering shrub that provides seasonal color along riversides and often forms part of the habitat used by many bird species.

### Water Strider

- Japanese: アメンボ

- English: Water Strider

- Scientific name: Family *Gerridae*

Aquatic insects that skate across the water surface using surface tension, providing an important food source for many freshwater animals.

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# Video

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# Timestamp-based Field Observation Log

### 00:00 — Highlights

A preview of notable wildlife behaviors recorded throughout the observation session.

### 03:01

The mother of the Ki family is located while the ducklings remain out of sight.

### 03:29

The Ki family (3 ducklings, approximately 22 days old) is confirmed safe. Recently, this family appears to spend more time within the primary brood-rearing area while repeatedly moving between the upper and lower sections of the river weir.

### 05:24

The Ki ducklings independently cross to the opposite bank without hesitation, even with other ducks nearby. Their mother quietly follows behind.

### 06:14

Several ducks undergoing their annual molt move together in cohesive groups. During this flightless period, synchronized flocking behavior becomes especially noticeable.

### 06:54

A White Wagtail briefly appears along the riverbank.

### 07:13

The Shi family's ducklings appear to have been left behind once again.

### 07:40

All six Shi ducklings are safely accounted for. This marks the sixth consecutive day that they have been observed waiting together while their mother is absent.

### 11:28

The Ki ducklings begin an afternoon nap beneath a bridge.

### 14:13

One duckling displays an unusual slow, shuffling walk while exploring the area.

### 14:57

The ducklings spend time resting peacefully.

### 17:10

A Rose-ringed Parakeet is finally observed flying overhead after several days of hearing only its calls.

### 17:24

Another duck family approaches the observation area.

### 18:14

The waiting Shi ducklings become noticeably more vocal after another duck family arrives nearby.

### 19:37

Stretching behavior suggests the Shi ducklings may soon become active again.

### 22:19

Another duck family approaches the resting Ki ducklings before unexpectedly changing direction and retreating.

### 23:34

The Shi ducklings leave their resting site while their mother is still absent.

### 24:45

Nearby crows appear to engage in a dispute, but the ducklings show little reaction.

### 25:55

The ducklings briefly freeze and call, yet continue waiting quietly.

### 28:33

The Shi mother suddenly flies back into the area, immediately attracting the ducklings' attention.

### 29:15

Mother and ducklings reunite calmly without an excited rush. A nearby water strider also displays interesting movement across the water.

### 30:08

The resting Ki ducklings provide another peaceful scene.

### 30:52

Large numbers of adult ducks gather on the opposite bank.

### 31:29

The Ki mother begins displaying body language suggesting imminent flight.

### 31:41

She suddenly flies away toward nearby rice fields while the ducklings remain quietly where they are, once again demonstrating remarkable patience.

### 35:11

A visit to the surrounding rice fields recalls earlier observations from two months before, illustrating the seasonal transformation from flooded fields to dense rice growth.

### 35:55

The Ki mother is relocated after returning from the rice fields, and the ducklings are safely reunited.

### 37:22

The Ki family suddenly begins swimming downstream in a tightly coordinated formation.

### 38:27

A group of adult ducks ahead causes resting ducks to awaken.

### 39:30

The Shi ducklings rest beside blooming Chinese Hibiscus flowers.

### 42:09

The Tf family arrives at its usual resting site, with the mother and at least five ducklings confirmed.

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# Why I Preserve These Unedited Wildlife Records

Most people know my work through short YouTube videos featuring Eastern Spot-billed Duck families and other urban wildlife. Those short videos are carefully edited with music, sound effects, and storytelling to make natural events accessible to a wider audience.

However, edited videos can never fully represent reality. Personally, I tend to be skeptical of heavily edited wildlife footage because it is often impossible to judge what actually happened.

Every short video I publish is created from recordings like this one—long, nearly unedited field observations documenting wildlife exactly as it appeared. These continuous recordings serve as evidence that the behaviors shown in the edited videos genuinely occurred in nature.

For more than 1,000 consecutive days, I have continued documenting urban wildlife one day at a time. While these long recordings may not be the easiest to watch, I believe they preserve valuable scientific, historical, and behavioral records of changing urban ecosystems and the daily lives of wild animals.

I hope these archives will be useful not only for birdwatchers, photographers, and wildlife enthusiasts, but also for anyone interested in observing authentic animal behavior without artificial editing.

🦆 Raw Bird & Wildlife Footage | No BGM 🌍️

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL7dTQKKqrPzZpmfSA98tn9tXWfkp1jBB


00:00 Highlights (unordered) 03:01 キf mother is here! Where are the ducklings? 03:29 キf3-22 safe! Seems to be spending more time in the nursery area? * Looks like they’re moving repeatedly between the upper and lower dam areas, but lately they seem to be here more often. 05:24 キf ducklings crossed to the opposite bank on their own! Ignored other ducks. Mother followed behind. 06:14 Ducks in heavy molt with primary feathers falling out. Moving together like a family. * The cute “duckling movement” might actually be the behavior of birds that can’t fly yet? 06:54 Caught a White Wagtail 07:13 Ah… シf ducklings are left behind again… are all 6 safe? 07:40 シf6-15 – all 6 ducklings safe! Mother has now left them behind for 6 consecutive days… * I was going to refrain from filming more シf abandonments since I captured so many yesterday and it’s a daily occurrence, but… At that moment, a Great Reed Warbler was calling from the nearby bushes, so I stayed to see if シf母 would return. 11:28 キf3 started napping under the bridge. 14:13 The ducklings’ wiggly walking is unusual! 14:57 Relaxed ducklings. 17:10 Rose-ringed Parakeet – I hear their calls every day recently. * They’re usually hidden in the trees, but today they flew past. Landing on the electric wire is actually rare. 17:24 アf3-45 came close! * Classic nursery area vibes, but somehow feels fresh this year. 18:14 シf ducklings started calling more when アf came near. 19:37 シf ducklings stretching… feels like they’re about to wake up. 22:19 アf3 approached キf3… huh? Suddenly retreated to the opposite bank. * Rare movement. Maybe another duck in the bushes? There were also two more ducks sleeping near キf3. 23:34 Left-behind シf6 departed the bed site * I want to film アf3 and キf3 too, but I’ve been focused on the Great Reed Warbler the whole time… constant singing but never showed itself. 24:45 Crows fighting? シf ducklings nearby but seem unfazed. 25:55 シf ducklings froze briefly and called. Mother still not back. 28:33 ★ シf母 flew in! Ducklings reacted! 29:15 Mother and ducklings reunited, but the ducklings didn’t run to her. * The water striders were amusing. 30:08 ★ Sleeping キf3 are adorable. 30:52 Other side of the river packed with ducks No sign of アf. * With シf6’s abandonment over, finally able to film calmly! 31:29 Uh oh… キf母’s body language looks ominous… about to fly. 31:41 ★ キf母 flew off… ducklings stayed still. Mother headed… to the rice fields. * Watched the left-behind ducklings for a while… but decided to take a break and shop, otherwise it would never end. 35:11 Rice fields. Couldn’t find キf母. * Realized this is the same rice field where I met Of4… it’s been 2 months since then. That day water was added, the next day rice seedlings were planted. Now the field is lush. * When I returned, キf3 ducklings were gone… wait, what? 35:55 Found キf母! She’s back! And the ducklings… there they are! * Probably about 15 minutes apart? Might have just missed them while at the rice field 37:22 Suddenly キf3 started swimming downstream together. 38:27 A group of adult ducks in front of キf3 Woke up the ducks sleeping at the bed site. 39:30 ★ シf6 with a hibiscus flower. 42:09 Tf family at their usual bed site. Confirmed mother and 5 ducklings. ▲▲▲ End of timestamps. So… シf6 left behind again today—6 consecutive days on record. Also captured キf3’s mother flying off. However, most of the filming focus was on hoping the constantly calling Great Reed Warbler would show itself… but despite singing the whole time, I never saw it once. Lucky or unlucky, キf3, アf3, and シf6 were all visible at the same time and I honestly didn’t know which to watch, ended up exhausted. * To keep track of the many duck families, I use the mother duck’s wing (tertial feather) patterns and code system. [List here ↓] https://okasinaikimono.blogspot.com/2025/08/0802f.html