Some animals can’t be alone and live happily, humans are one of these animals, other animals that can’t be alone and be happy are ducks
Knowing this, it would be odd to see a duck being alone, this article explores why this may happen
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Why would a duck be alone?
If you think of a duck you’re likely thinking of a group of ducks together, ducks are not often seen alone, these birds are social animals and prefer to be among their flock members.
But, ducks may sometimes be found alone, this is not common but it does happen. A lone duck may be a mother duck
Mother ducks are very protective of their baby ducks, these animals will do the best they can to make sure that their babies are well taken care of.
Making sure that the babies are well taken care of entails finding a space for them to hatch even before the babies hatch
Mother ducks can be found roaming around looking for isolated spots to create a nest and lay their eggs and this may be what you’re seeing
The birds look for isolated places to lay their eggs to avoid attracting predators while being in a big loud flock.
Once the bird finds a suitable place to nest she will lay eggs and then sit on her eggs alone for the whole incubation period which is about 28 days.
In this case, the female duck is actually not alone, there is a male duck nearby and he is looking over the nest territory.
He will not sit on the nest with her as this will attract a predator directly to the nest but he will watch over her during this time defending the nest vigorously if a threat does come along.
What to do:
If you find a lone duck walking around then the best thing to do is to leave the bird alone, adult ducks know how to live their lives and keep themselves safe and so do female ducks who are about to lay eggs
If you do try to do something then the male duck that is looking after the female may attack you for trying to get too close to its mate
If you’re concerned you can keep an eye on the bird to make sure that it is indeed getting ready to nest and is not a lone duck that has somehow gotten lost from its flock.
If you notice however that the female duck is injured or sick then you have the choice of letting nature take its course or bringing the bird to a wildlife rehabilitation center to be seen and treated
It is not recommended that you take the bird in unless you have veterinary experience.
Do not feed the bird or give the bird drink before you get the bird to the wildlife rehabilitation center.
You can also take the bird to the vet if there are no wildlife rehabilitation centers around you.
FAQ:
What happens when a duck loses its partner?
While ducks, just as with humans, will have different reactions to losing a partner, you can expect the same behavior from the majority of these animals
This scenario is generally an extremely difficult experience for most ducks. Ducks will start to grieve and mourn their partner by vocalizing as well as avoiding social contact.
Once the mourning stage is over the duck will find and accept a new duck mate and will start to bond with this new mate. This bonding period will not be quick as the duck will still remember its old mate.
Can ducks live without a partner?
A duck cannot live, and definitely cannot live happily, without a partner. These animals are social animals, they need other ducks to socialize with to be normal happy, and healthy.
If they are left alone with no mate, and no one to socialize with, then they can become quite depressed.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other duck related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: How To Get A Duck To Trust You, I Can Hear My Duck Breathing,