Photographer Captures Photo Of Mama Duck Raising 76 Ducklings Alone

Jul 30, 2018

This image of a mother duck leading a group of 76 ducklings was captured by photographer Brent Cizek at Lake Bemidgi in Minnesota.

Brent Cizek, a photographer, was out on a boat in June at Lake Bemidgi when he saw something incredible: A mother duck swimming along with an unusually large number of baby ducks behind her.

He got a snapshot of the scene despite the waves in motion. He later submitted the picture to The National Audubon Society, who then tweeted the photo.

"The waves were so strong it was nearly impossible to even keep them in the frame,” Cizek explained to the Audubon Society. Cizek has since returned to the nature spot and was able to capture more photos of the abundant duck family. He estimated the count of ducklings to be 76.

Cizek’s photo is amazing bird admirers around the globe. The mother duck is a common merganser, and they usually only lay about 12 eggs. The Audubon Society said the extra large grouping could consist of abandoned or adopted ducklings; sometimes little ones get lost.

However, it is such an abundant group that The New York Times suggested it could be like a daycare system. The experienced mother ducks will help out the new moms by raising the ducklings in a “crèche”

David Rave, a wildlife manager of the Bemidgi region explained to the Times, “That’s a lot. I’ve seen crèches up to 35 and 50 often, but 70 — that would be a very big crèche.

What a cool opportunity Brent Cizek got to photograph such a marvelous and heart warming scene.

What do you think of this adorable scene? Ducky daycare or stressed out mom? Let us know and show this to a friend who could use a smile!