Orange Band: Ontario

You’re an American black duck!

You were banded near Kingston, Ontario on the St. Lawrence River in a wetland you visit each year to raise your young.

You and your mate arrived in spring to start a family. She laid seven greenish-white eggs on the ground, in a nest hidden under some plants. Once the eggs hatched, she stayed with the ducklings for seven weeks until they were able to fly.

You left your mate before the eggs hatched to moult. This is a time when you lose your old feathers and grew fresh new ones. You couldn’t fly while moulting your wing feathers, so you relied on your speed and camouflage to avoid a hungry mink.

When the weather turned cold, you joined other ducks to migrate south and will spend winter at the same marsh as last year, on the coast of North Carolina, U.S.A.

Fast Facts:

• common in eastern Canada but rare west of Ontario
• looks black from far away, but is actually dark brown
• may interbreed with mallard ducks
• Black duck numbers have been dropping for the last 50 years. Ducks Unlimited Canada scientists and others work hard to find ways to reverse this.