Ducks

Adult Mallards
For advice on injured or sick adult ducks, follow the same guidelines in the Marine & Seabird Section

Baby Mallards
If you have rescued orphaned ducklings, they will need immediate care from a licensed rehabilitator who will raise them to be wild and return them to their environment when they are ready.

Because they are usually kept very warm (under Mother) when they are tiny chicks, the ducklings need to be placed in a warm, safe environment while they await transport and care at a facility. This can be accomplished simply by placing the chicks in a box with absorbent material on the bottom (newspaper works well) and by placing the box half on and half off of a heating pad set on low.

Do not allow baby ducklings to swim. Please make sure they stay as dry as possible because they can quickly get hypothermic (chilled) and die.  If you can’t get them to a rehabilitator right away, you can give them water in a shallow lid (like a peanut butter lid) filled with small rocks.  This should allow them to drink but prevent them from getting wet.

If you have found a wild animal that appears to be sick, injured, abandoned or in danger...
Please call our emergency hotline number: 310.458.WILD [9453]!