Summer brings many orphaned ducklings and, while adorable, they take a lot of time and resources to raise from cute, cheeping fluff balls to fully fledged, flying ducks. Due to the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and quarantine protocols, the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Center is unable to take them in, and so, for the second year in a row, Safe Wings Ottawa is gearing up to assist as many orphaned ducklings as we can, but we desperately need your help!
The fluffy wee ducklings are in our rehabber’s care for a minimum of 3 weeks. Once they have served their quarantine period, are gaining weight, and are more independent they are transferred to our foster. Here, they spend time in an outdoor enclosure, playing and frolicking in tubs of water, foraging for bugs and grasses until they have grown their full adult feathers and can fly away.
It can take up to 60 days before they are fully flighted. That generally involves two months of care, cleaning, grains, greens, and meal worms for each duckling we get in. Your $20 donation “adoption” fee helps buy food, medical supplies, and resources to help these wee ones prosper, grow, and fly away so that next year, they can return to Ottawa and lay their own eggs.
As a thank you, you’ll receive:
– an adoption certificate
– a photo of your duckling
– background information on how they came to Safe Wings.
Please email ducklings@safewings.ca, include your name, and you’ll receive a link and instructions for donation via the Ottawa Field Naturallists’ Club (OFNC). Each donation is also eligible for a tax receipt.
Thank you SO MUCH for helping Safe Wings Ottawa save ducklings!
