Eider ducklings face uncertain future

A small group of eider ducks dove and preened amidst the activity surrounding the pier. People cast fishing lines, walkers and joggers came and went; everyone seemed to be oblivious to the activities of the three adult female ducks and their cr?che of five ducklings.

The ducklings, which must have hatched within the last two weeks, already were mimicking their elders and attempting to dive for their own meals of marine insects, periwinkles, or sandworms, among other items. There was just one hitch: Their tiny, buoyant bodies were still covered in thick, waterproof down; this prevented them from staying under very long and within seconds, they’d pop back to the surface like small corks.

Every once in a while, one of the ducklings would raise itself up and shake its ridiculously short, stubby wings – which at this point looked like tiny, furry appendages – in a comical-looking precursor to the ritualized wing-flapping of adult males (also called drakes). This behavior, when performed by a drake, is usually done as part of a courtship and mate-guarding display.

I was so intrigued by the baby eider ducks I could have stayed to watch them all evening. As are young of other ducks, eider ducklings are born precocial – they are fully mobile and highly independent, able to move about and feed themselves soon after hatching. In fact, within one hour of leaving the nest and entering the water, they can dive pretty competently.

Although they can swim, dive and feed themselves, young eider ducklings are still dependent upon adults for protection. Non-breeding female hens often join mothers with newly hatched young, staying with them throughout the pre-fledgling period.

These “aunts” may act as guardians, helping to defend the ducklings from predators such as gulls, crows, ravens and jaegers. Sometimes several females with young will join together, forming very large cr?ches.

Eider ducks nest colonially throughout Arctic and sub-Arctic coastal marine habitats from North America to Eurasia. Ducklings hatch from a warm nest lined with the parent’s own down feathers after an average of 25 days. The fledgling period may last eight weeks, after which females migrate to “molt sites” in early fall and the young group together and travel to wintering areas.

In the late 19th century, these ducks were almost wiped out on the eastern seaboard of North America by commercial hunting. The Migratory Bird Convention of 1916 put a stop to the wholesale slaughter, and populations began recovering.

However, while currently considered healthy today, populations again are declining. Increased harvest pressure is again the culprit, in addition to habitat degradation.

The young ducklings I watched this evening had a long way to go before they’d be ready to separate from their parents and face an uncertain future. As I watched, the small group headed to a craggy finger of rock projecting from the shoreline and climbed upon it. The adults immediately began to preen, while the ducklings sorted themselves out, some staying with one female and others clambering among the rocks clumsily, slipping and sliding, until they reached another adult.

The little ones also began to preen, and again it was comical to watch as they lifted stubby wing-limbs and waggled their stubby tails in imitation of the adults. Occasionally one would lose its balance and almost topple over on its side, only to right itself at the last second.

Yes, they had a long way to go yet.

BDN bird columnist Chris Corio can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net