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The Gang of Three - Mallard Chicks

Last modified on 2023-03-02. This page is dedicated to nature lovers and wildlife photographers. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in and around Montreal.

Luckily having been able to watch a Mallard female with three ducklings at the small pond in Park Bernard-Landry, Laval. Locking my viewfinder of the front sibling and taking the snapshot. Although I name the photo “The Gang of Three”, obviously these three little ducks are not scary at all but cute little fellows exploring the surroundings under the watchful eyes of their mom.

Video Recordings

I also recorded a few clips of these ducklings and published one of them on YouTube. Unfortunately, the camera wasn’t horizontal to the ground, handheld while sitting on the ground. I was very angry and updated my rules page to keep it as a reminder: Keep the Camera Straight

Later I learned how to rotate a clip in DaVinci Resolve which allows to fix in post-production a camera hold at an angle. Here the videos:

Observations

Wondering about two other observations I made? First there was a battle with another female Mallard which was won by the mother of the ducklings and ended by chasing off the other female. Why would a female Mallard attack another one?

Then a confused drake, Mallard too, battled with the female. I had the impression that the intention was to submit and mate. He may have been bursting with testosterone to explain why he didn’t realize that this female is raising ducklings and not available.