Martin O'Brien wrote:
>
> A question for the list.
>
> My brother has recently moved into a house in suburban Melbourne
> (Eltham
> North) which has both a pool and a spa. In the past few weeks a pair
> of
> Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa) have regularly visited the pool
> and
> sometimes hopped into it. Later they brought four of their young to
> the
> pool and vigorously defended the clutch from cats and humans. In the
> last
> week, however, all ducklings died simultaneously and were either found
> floating in the pool or were last seen in the garden.
>
> Does anyone have a suggestion for the birds demise? My thought was
> that
> ducklings weren't able to safely drink the chlorinated water like
> their
> parents. The cat was kept in the house after the ducklings arrived
> and no
> marks were apparent on the duckilings bodies. Ideas please.
>
> Martin
>
> Martin O'Brien
> Executive Scientific Officer
> Scientific Advisory Committee
> Threatened Species Program
> Department of Natural Resources and Environment
> 4/250 Victoria Pde.,
> East Melbourne, 3002
> Victoria, AUSTRALIA
>
> tel: +61 3 9412 4567
> e-mail:
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A sad story. Was there anything for the ducklings to eat in the garden?
Normally ducklings take small plants eg duckweed and small insects and
waterlife etc from the water and shoreline - nothing like this available
in a chlorinated pool.
I have seen young ducklings graze on a mown lawn. If snailkillers or
insecticides have been used in the garden this could also account for
the deaths. Ducks love snails of all sizes.
Anthea Fleming in Ivanhoe
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