It is always inspiring to see mothers taking care of their little ones in nature. One of the most common examples is the image of a mother duck leading her ducklings in a straight line.
Whether it’s crossing the street or swimming in the pond, it’s always fantastic to see ducklings instinctively follow their mother.
But a photographer captured a truly beautiful moment when he discovered a mother duck caring for more ducklings than one could imagine.
Brent Cizek is an amateur wildlife photographer from North Minnesota. In 2018, he went to the Bemidji Lake, near Duluth, and discovered a Common Merganser.
“It was stunning,” the photographer told the New York Times. “I didn’t know a duck could care for so many ducklings.”
“It practically forces you to watch and wonder: How? How did this happen? How can this mother care for all these ducklings? She looks so proud and calm in the photo.”
No, they are not all her biological children – Common Mergansers generally lay between 8 and 11 eggs. However, they are known to lay eggs in other females’ nests.
According to the Times, they do this to spread their offspring and thus increase their chances of survival. But it is unlikely that this mother duck actually hatched all the eggs, leading to the conclusion that she is the matriarch of the lake caring for all the ducklings while the adults molt their feathers.
It is still incredible to see how this duck has such loving control over so many ducklings – even though there are dozens, they all manage to follow her commands.
“Everyone is truly impressed,” said Brent Cizek. “Everyone keeps saying ‘Mother of the Year.’”
We agree, what a wonderful mother! Thanks to this photographer for capturing such an amazing image!
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