Why did my duckling die and is it my fault (accidentally jerking too much... that fragile???)?

Question

ok, so i found i duck that had JUST been abandoned by its family... i literally watched it happen. So i tried to go scoop it up in a net and a completely random duck (not the mother) flew at my head and tried to hurt me. so i didnt try to take the duck thinking that that duck was trying to save it. So i watched for a bit, then saw that mean duck that had been quaking (as if to yell) take off without paying any mind to the duck. I got the duckling and took it home to my husband so we could try and save it and take care of it. IT DIED AS SOON AS I TOOK IT IN THE HOUSE! we were on my stoop outside the house holding it and getting it a little pond together for it to swim and she swam for a little bit but then was very clingy to my husband. the ducks head swayed back and fourth alot and looked sleepy before it died. PLEASE tell me what i did, or if it was not my fault, im very distraught and hurt about this. (the baby swam on its side in the makeshift pond right before it died)

Answer 1

A baby duck can swim at a day old,they get their oil from the mother duck sitting on them,,,it died because it was wild and they stress real easy,,,if you would of left it there mama duck would of came back to it...Don`t feel bad though I`v tried it before and it`s hard to keep them alive...

Answer 2

Maybe it was sick or just very weak. You might have not been the problem of the death. Or maybe it was too young to swim. Either way. You did the best you could. And if it was in pain the duckling is now painless.

Answer 3

I know you feel bad, and I believe you had the best intentions, though a bit over zealous, and a touch misguided.  It is in our nature to want to nurture helpless babies, but we need to leave that to their parents.

Please don't take my message as harsh.  I only mean to educate.

First off... Your proximity to the the duckling was a problem.  If you were that close, the quacking duck left because it perceived you as a predator - a threat.  The adult would have returned when you left the area.   There are two parents.  The other was probably with the rest of the ducklings.

That being said, if that was the only duckling in the area, it may have been ill, or injured - already.

However, you mentioned jerking.  Not sure what you meant by that, but it doesn't sound good.

Capturing and holding a wild animal is terrifying to them.  It's not comforting.  You are a predator and they are prey.  Just the sound of a human voice is known to increase heart rate and stress levels.  Incorrect handling of any wild animal, especially one that is sick or injured, can be a fatal mistake.

If you absolutely had to take the duck, it should have been placed in a pet carrier with a bowl of water, not put into a pool.  Especially when stressed.

Countless baby ducks "accidentally" drown in pools and bathtubs, unable to get out, not bouyant enough to stay afloat without constant paddling.  Lakes and streams have banks that they can climb to get out.  Tubs do not.  

I'm not sure what all happened in the pond and the pool, but I suspect the duckling aspirated water into it's lungs, which would have resulted in rapid decline and death.

Wildlife experts and conservation groups have a message:  If you care, leave it there.

Wild ducks and all other native wild birds are protected by law.  The Migratory Bird Treaty Act  prohibits the possession any native wild bird unless it is obviously sick, injured, or truly abandoned, and you are transporting it immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

I know you were trying to help, but in the future, you should reconsider your actions.  If you were pulled over by police and caught driving home with any native wild bird, you could face a maximum $15,000 fine, 6 months of jail time, and even lose your vehicle.   The courts have a zero tolerance policy for violations, whether you are aware of them, or not.

Many people on these boards are not aware of these laws, or innocently believe that they are not enforced.  This is hardly the case.  The federal government investigates and prosecutes even the smallest offenders.  Money made from fines goes right back to wildlife, funding wildlife conservation and protection.

Since 99% of the general public have limited, or no experience with wildlife,  most are bound to fail.  They have common misperceptions, and base care decisions on these myths.  This is why the general public is not allowed to care for native wild birds.

Here's a great site.  Links to rehabbers, and tons of useful information about what to do when there is an issue with wildlife.

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/

******

Everyone makes mistakes.   You made a few.  What is important is that you learn from this event, so you are able to make confident and educated decisions about wildlife in the future.  

Best wishes to you:)

Answer 4

Baby ducks should not swim! Not until they are about 3 weeks old and not unless you are very experienced. Their down is not waterproof at that age. It was probably on its side because it got water soaked and then it got cold becuase you didn't put it under a heat lamp.

Although, the duck could have been abandoned because there was something wrong with it and thats why it died.