Summer update from the Rearing Room

The Incubation and Rearing rooms were busy this summer! We think we have the last ducklings of the breeding season in the rearing tanks now, but you never know!

This July in the Rearing Room we welcomed four ring-necked ducklings and three Chiloe wigeon. At the very end of the month we welcomed five marbled teal ducklings as well. These youngsters are pictured above. The marbled teal were moved to our outdoor duckery on Mon 18 August now that they are larger. Currently in the Arnie tanks in the Rearing Room are two Chiloe wigeon that hatched on August 8th. They will be large enough to move outdoors at the end of the month.

The golden eyes, buffleheads, hooded merganser and red shoveler’s that hatched in June are now all in outdoor, off-show ponds. Our young avocet Twiggy - along with Gonzo & Rizzo, the common scoter ducklings, were moved into the off-show area beside the Coastal Creek Aviary on July 14th. Twiggy and company are now out in the main population of the Coastal Creek aviary. We are limiting visitors to 15 into the aviary at a time until the new birds are acclimatized to moving among our visitors.

The Collection Team gave the Coastal Creek Aviary a deep clean on August 6, when it was closed to visitors. The Diving Duck Tank was drained the day before and all water levels in the exhibit was lowered allowing the team access all areas. The daily Keeper talk at noon was still held for visitors, but visitors stood outside the aviary on the adjacent path.

In July we also had three red shoveler ducklings that were hatched on the nest brooded by their parents. They are being parent reared in our large, outdoor duckery until they are large enough to be put out on exhibits.

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