When a Mother Spot-billed Duck Keeps Leaving: A Day of Patience, Recognition, and Remarkable Duckling Behavior
Urban wildlife often reveals behaviors that challenge our assumptions. During this long-term field observation, I documented a family of Eastern Spot-billed Ducks (*Anas zonorhyncha*) whose mother repeatedly left her six approximately two-week-old ducklings alone for extended periods before returning.
Rather than simply following instinct, the ducklings demonstrated remarkable behavioral flexibility. They learned to wait, distinguished unfamiliar ducks from their own mother, briefly investigated other duck families, and eventually reached the limit of their patience after nearly 90 minutes of separation.
This article serves as a field observation record of wild duck parental behavior, duckling recognition, social responses, and the everyday dynamics of urban freshwater wildlife.
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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 medium-sized dabbling duck commonly found across East Asia. Unlike many migratory ducks, this species often remains year-round in urban rivers and wetlands. Females raise ducklings alone, leading them through complex environments while avoiding predators and searching for feeding and resting sites.
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### Common Kingfisher
- Japanese: カワセミ
- English: Common Kingfisher
- Scientific name: *Alcedo atthis*
A small fish-eating bird famous for its brilliant blue plumage and spectacular diving ability. It frequently hunts fish and freshwater shrimp along slow-moving rivers.
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### Common Carp
- Japanese: コイ
- English: Common Carp
- Scientific name: *Cyprinus carpio*
A large freshwater fish commonly inhabiting rivers and ponds. Although generally harmless to ducklings, their sudden appearance often attracts the attention of young birds.
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# YouTube Video
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# Field Observation Log
## 00:00 – Highlights
A preview of the day's most memorable wildlife moments.
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## 03:01 – The Ducklings Begin Their Afternoon Rest
Family シf6 settles down for a peaceful nap. The ducklings appear relaxed, although previous observations suggest their mother may leave again soon.
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## 05:14 – First Departure
The mother suddenly flies downstream.
Unlike the previous day, none of the ducklings attempt to follow. They remain quietly at the resting site, suggesting they may have begun learning that their mother eventually returns.
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## 07:01 – An Unknown Duck Approaches
Another duck comes close to the unattended ducklings.
Rather than panicking or approaching, the ducklings remain calm and continue waiting.
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## 11:06 – Waiting Continues
The mother still has not returned.
Several Common Carp swim nearby, yet the ducklings show little concern and continue resting.
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## 18:43 – Ducklings Being Ducklings
One duckling climbs onto another, creating an amusing and affectionate moment.
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## 23:06 – Mother Finally Returns
After a long absence, the mother comes back.
Interestingly, the ducklings do not rush toward her. Instead, she calmly heads to the resting area.
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## 26:58 – Second Departure
Only a short time after returning, the mother flies away again.
The ducklings remain surprisingly composed.
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## 31:08 – Social Activity
The siblings become increasingly active while waiting.
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## 34:22–40:10 – Another Family
A different duck family (Tf8) appears nearby.
One juvenile remains asleep while the rest prepare to leave, producing another unusual family interaction.
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## 43:46 – Unexpected Encounter
Another well-known family (アf3) unexpectedly arrives from upstream, suggesting changes in movement patterns within the local duck population.
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## 46:20 – The Long Wait
The original ducklings continue waiting.
Multiple unrelated ducks pass by without causing confusion.
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## 54:12–56:23 – Other Families
Several additional duck families are recorded, providing valuable long-term data on juvenile survival and family composition.
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## 57:28 – Still No Mother
The absence has become unusually long.
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## 58:45 – Return Captured in Flight
The mother's arrival is successfully recorded as she flies back.
The ducklings immediately begin calling.
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## 59:34 – Landing Nearby
Rather than landing directly beside them, the mother lands a short distance away.
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## 1:03:05 – Third Consecutive Departure
For the third time at the same resting site, the mother leaves again.
This repeated behavior is unlike anything previously observed in this family.
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## 1:04:23 – Quiet Rest
A peaceful close-up captures a duck resting with its bill tucked into its feathers.
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## 1:05:55 – Mistaken Identity
Another female duck approaches closely.
For a moment, she resembles the missing mother, confusing both observer and ducklings.
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## 1:10:42–1:13:50 – Patience Runs Out
One duckling finally decides to leave.
It returns.
Then leaves again.
Eventually, the entire brood gives up waiting and begins moving together after approximately 90 minutes.
This marks an important behavioral transition from passive waiting to active searching.
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## 1:17:01 – Independent Travel
The ducklings successfully negotiate a section of fast-flowing water without their mother.
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## 1:22:10 – Waiting Beside Another Duck
The ducklings remain close to another resting duck family while continuing to wait.
No aggression occurs.
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## 1:23:47 – Mistaking the Wrong Mother
One of the rarest moments of the day.
The ducklings mistake the returning mother of another family for their own and run toward her.
This illustrates both their strong attachment to maternal figures and the occasional limitations of visual recognition.
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## 1:25:42 – Reunion
Their actual mother finally returns.
She immediately drives nearby ducks away before rejoining her ducklings.
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## 1:30:46 – Another Rest Attempt
The family climbs onto another resting site.
The mother appears ready to sleep, while the ducklings remain energetic.
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## 1:32:16 – Kingfisher Hunting
A male Common Kingfisher catches a freshwater shrimp nearby, adding another species interaction to the day's observations.
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## 1:36:53 – Another Failed Nap
The mother attempts another resting stop, but the ducklings are not yet ready.
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## 1:39:07 – Finally Asleep
The ducklings eventually settle down successfully.
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## 1:42:36–1:43:18 – Departure
After resting, the ducklings initiate movement first, with their mother following behind.
A fitting conclusion to a day defined by patience, learning, and family coordination.
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# Why I Publish These Unedited Wildlife Records
Most people know my work through short YouTube videos featuring Spot-billed Duck families and other urban wildlife. Those short videos often include music, editing, captions, and storytelling to make natural events easier to watch.
However, edited videos inevitably remove much of the real pace of wildlife behavior. Personally, I have always been cautious about heavily edited nature footage because it can unintentionally distort what actually happened.
Every short video on my channel originates from long, largely unedited field recordings like this one. These recordings serve as the original evidence behind every story I publish.
For more than 1,000 consecutive days, I have continued documenting urban wildlife with minimal editing. Although these long recordings are not always convenient to watch, I believe they preserve valuable scientific, historical, and behavioral records that reveal gradual day-to-day changes impossible to capture in short highlight videos alone.
If these archives help fellow birdwatchers, wildlife enthusiasts, researchers, photographers, or anyone who simply enjoys observing nature, then they have fulfilled their purpose.
🦆 **Raw Bird & Wildlife Footage | No BGM 🌍️**
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL7dTQKKqrPzZpmfSA98tn9tXWfkp1jBB
00:00 Highlights (unordered)
03:01 ★ シf6-14 starting to nap 
(Eastern Spot-billed Duck family シf, 6 ducklings, around 14 days old)
* Such a cute scene right away! But… シf mother has an unusually high frequency of leaving the ducklings behind, so… I have a feeling she’ll fly off…
05:14 ★ シf母 flew off. The ducklings didn’t follow.
* Yesterday they chased her, so I wanted to film that, but this time she successfully made them wait!
* She flew straight downstream.
07:01 ★ Another duck (young?) approached the left-behind ducklings. The ducklings stayed calm and didn’t move 
11:06 Mother still hasn’t returned… carp swam near the ducklings but they stayed calm.
18:43 ★ A duckling climbed on top of another duckling adorable.
21:51 I can hear a mother-like call, but can’t see where she is…
23:06 ★ シf母 finally returned! Ducklings didn’t run to her; she went straight to the bed site.
26:41 After preening, the mother duck… I have a bad feeling…
26:58 ★ She flew off again… second abandonment, but the ducklings stayed calm.
* Since this was the second time, I tried to follow the mother, but there were a lot of people walking nearby and I stopped (if I follow, I end up pointing the camera at her 
). She seems to have headed to the rice fields.
31:08 ★ Ducklings bustling around.
* Hm… worried about シf母 returning, but since it’s the second time, I’ll wait while checking the surroundings.
34:22 Tf8-56 at the bed site. Looks like they just woke up, everyone moving at their own pace.
Doesn’t look like all 8 are together.
35:45 Tf8’s impressive ducklings at 58 days old! 6 are present.
* Confirmed up to 7, one had already left earlier. Haven’t seen all 8 together for a few days; maybe one has already become independent.
36:39 Tf mother sets off, but one duckling stays deeply asleep…
40:10 ★ Tf mother and group left the last one behind
* Waited for the last duckling’s panicked dash, but it stayed alone A rare pattern; I kept waiting for them to leave together…
42:56 From a distance, saw what looked like a family with 3 ducklings… which group?
* The location doesn’t match anyone I expected… gave up on the last Tf duckling and went to check.
43:46 アf3-44 – wow, アf3 has come down from upstream!!
* I regret not realizing it was アf3 during filming. Thinking calmly, it could only have been アf3… (Was too focused on Tf and シf to double-check footage).
* There was another adult nearby, seemed to be with アf3. Approached once and got threatened by アf母 (missed the shot), but seemed tolerated even at close range.
* The last Tf duckling was gone.
46:20 Left-behind シf6; mother still hasn’t returned. Several other ducks passed by.
* For a moment thought the other duck group might be Tf8, but they were molting adults.
54:12 Lf4 – 64 days old, still with 3 ducklings.
* This spot alternates daily between Lf4 (3 ducklings) and イf4 (3 ducklings)—it’s maddeningly confusing.
55:11 Hm? Probably Cf family! 81 days, still with 2 ducklings.
* They were Cf3 until over 60 days, then became 2-duckling family; those 2 are still together!
56:23 Looked like Tf family, but probably just a molting adult with missing feathers.
57:28 シf母 still not back… isn’t this abandonment too long?
58:45 ★ Caught the exact moment シf母 flew back in! Ducklings were calling too!
59:34 ★ シf母 landed a bit away from them.
1:03:05 ★ Oh wow… third consecutive abandonment, caught her heading into the rice fields too.
1:04:23 ★ I want to be a duck bill rest
1:05:55 ★ Female duck came super close, startled me It wasn’t シf母, and the ducklings were surprised too…
* Personally looked very “mother-like,” but not on my ID list. Probably a finished-with-nesting female? Later joined the other adult group.
1:10:42 ★ Ah! One シf duckling set off alone… came back after a while, looks like the ducklings are waking.
1:11:38 ★ Same duckling set off again Completely bored of waiting…
1:12:18 ★ Siblings didn’t follow, so it came back again…
1:13:50 ★ Nope! Can’t take it anymore! All of them set off.
* About 1.5 hours since the first abandonment… they’d been sleeping there the whole time, so I guess they finally woke up.
1:17:01 Ducklings crossed the rapid on their own.
1:19:08 シf ducklings climbed through the bushes. Nearby were Tf juveniles.
1:19:36 Tf母 was on top of the tetrapods.
1:21:58 Tf母 flew upstream.
1:22:10 ★ シf ducklings waiting near other ducks. The others stayed asleep peacefully.
1:23:47 ★ Super rare—mistaken mother! They dashed to the flying-in Tf母.
1:24:08 ★ シf6 followed Tf母 towards yesterday’s bed site into nearby bushes.
* Watching today, Tf母 really has calmed down. Amazing to see the change.
1:25:20 Tf juveniles came into the bushes where シf6 was…
1:25:42 ★ シf母 flew in! Chased out Tf juveniles and reunited with her ducklings!
1:27:22 Passed by the sleeping duck that didn’t react to the earlier approach.
1:27:59 Tf resting. 5 ducklings visible. Maybe all 8 won’t be together again…
1:28:38 Followed シf6 as they swam upstream.
* Didn’t get to check キf3 or オf2 today… honestly too tired from waiting.
1:29:40 ★ シf母 didn’t react to the carp. (The other day she intensely stared at a softshell turtle.)
1:30:46 ★ シf6 landed at their bed site! Looks like a nap! (Mother wants to sleep, but will the ducklings?)
1:32:16 ★ Male kingfisher caught a shrimp.
* Flew near シf’s bed site—lucky to get that on film.
1:32:32 Huh? シf6 not napping Probably ducklings didn’t sleep, so they’re setting off again.
1:36:53 シf母 landed at the next bed site… seems it failed
* I’ll stop here. Briefly looked for アf3 again, didn’t find them. Shopped and on the way back…
1:39:07 ★ Ah, シf6 managed to nap after all!
* Stayed filming a while, thinking she might fly again.
1:42:36 ★ Looks like the ducklings are setting off! Well, they were sleeping until now
1:43:18 ★ シf6 departing with ducklings! Mother following too.
▲▲▲ End of timestamps
*
So… spent the day fully watching シf6’s two-week-old ducklings.
This makes 5 consecutive days with シf母 leaving them behind, with long durations and high frequency.
Today’s triple abandonment at the same bed site was a first.
Yesterday the ducklings couldn’t wait, but today they managed to—until they reached their limit.
While left alone, they calmly distinguished other ducks and waited, yet also made the rare “wrong mother dash” towards Tf母.
Despite all the abandonment and even the waterfall incident, somehow all シf ducklings are still safe.
Lots of interactions with Tf family too; even Tf母, who threatened them the other day, seems to be getting used to シf ducklings.
While editing, I was shocked to confirm アf3 had come all the way down into the nursery area. Hope they’ll still be there tomorrow.
Oh, and whenever I see アf3, I always search for Uf1 too but haven’t seen them lately.
Today, the area I followed シf6 into is the most likely spot for Uf1, but… couldn’t find them.
I might have lost the ability to tell them apart.
* 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/2025/08/0801f.html
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