'Ducky'
Ducky is a Green-winged Teal that came to the shelter as a frightened baby. He is all ready to go back to the wild.
Wood Ducks
The bright and colourful male Wood Duck, looks like it may have been painted with an artists' brush. The colours are so sharp & clear on them in the springtime. The Prince Rupert Wildlife Rehab Shelter has received permission to keep several pairs of ducks, for breeding, in a specially prepared pen with a fresh water pond. After they have raised their families, the grown babies are returned to the wild in an attempt to increase the population of this beautiful bird in the area.
Photo byAmber Graham
The female Wood Duck is pictured here and is not colourful at all, compared to the male.
The birds are settled into an isolated pen with an artificially created habitat, which resembles their wild home. They must be kept quiet and undisturbed in order for them to produce young. The birds are never touched with ungloved hands, to ensure there is no possible contamination of their feathers.
The mated pairs of Wood Ducks live happily in the same area with each pair carefully choosing their own nest site early on in the breeding cycle.
It is always a source of great happiness for Nancy & Gunther, when the newly grown birds can be released back into a suitable habitat. Hopefully, the ducks will stay in the area and raise families of their own to support the species. |
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Wood Duck's at the Shelter
Photo's by John McDonald