Duck Rescue 101
by Wanda Gorsuch

What should I do if I find an abandoned duck or goose nest?

First, the nest might not actually be abandoned.  There are a number of reasons why you might not see a duck or goose sitting on the nest, or leaving it.  Ducks and geese don’t spend much time sitting on their nest until all their eggs are laid.  They only lay one egg a day so this can take a few days (e.g. 8 – 12).  After they start to incubate, they will take ‘recesses’ from the nest to feed and rest.  They also might have seen you coming and flown off without you noticing them. 

You should not touch the nest and leave the area completely, even if you have not seen a duck or goose around.  Since ducks and geese are wary of predators, they won’t return to the nest until they are sure you are out of sight. 

Secondly, some times ducks or geese will lay a few eggs and abandon the nest.  If the nest has been truly abandoned, artificial incubation is usually not successful.  Egg embryos that have been chilled are no longer alive or are damaged.

We have a duck that has nested in an unsafe area.  Can we move the nest?

First, you can try to protect the nest if it is suitable, just remember that the mother duck and ducklings that hatch have to be able to get out.  If protecting the nest is not possible and only a few eggs have been laid, it is kinder to remove the eggs and nest entirely.  It is likely the mother duck will leave and begin a new nest in a different (hopefully safer) spot.  Moving the nest and eggs to a new location is not helpful as the mother duck will not look around for her ‘new’ nest location.

When we were out walking we found several ducklings huddled together.  Has their mother abandoned them?  Should we catch them?

Since ducklings are able to walk and feed themselves from the time they are hatched, their mother may not stay right with them all the time.  It is likely that she is hiding somewhere watching you and waiting for you to leave so she can return to them.

IMPORTANT:

Ducks and geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Act.  It is illegal to gather and keep their eggs or to capture ducks, geese, ducklings or goslings.  If you are in a situation where you need to rescue a nest or capture ducklings, you should take them to your closest wildlife rehabilitation center as soon as possible.  Ducklings are very cute, but they require a special diet to ensure their bones and feathers develop properly.  As well, they can become imprinted on humans, meaning they will never be able to be released back in to the wild.  Your local wildlife rehabilitation center will know how to feed and care for them properly to ensure they can be released in to the wild when they are old enough.