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Ducks, Geese, and Swans 91

By Any Other Name
Ducks, geese, and swans are commonly known by the following terms for gender and age:

Ducks: The female is a hen, the male is a drake, and young are ducklings.
Geese: The female is a goose, the male is a gander, and young are goslings.
Swans: The female is a swan, the male is a cob, and young are cygnets.

Criteria for Intervention

Reasons for young waterfowl to be admitted to rehabilitation include “kidnapping” by people,
separation from parent shortly after hatch, cat or dog bite, or hypothermia with cold or inclement
weather. Newly hatched waterfowl attract people. The small size and soft downy appearance of a
hatchling contributes to many wild young being taken from nature into human homes. Most of
these kidnapped chicks will be stressed, hypothermic, and malnourished when finally admitted to
wildlife rehabilitation centers.

Calls from the Public
For the person calling seeking advice about young waterfowl that are still in the wild, it is impor-
tant to tell them to give the adult space and privacy in order to come back to a site if they have
been startled and scattered due to disturbance. Suggest that the caller observe from a safe dis-
tance, out of sight of the adult birds, for at least an hour, unless the youngster is in immediate
danger. Offering natural history information about the species will be helpful in determining
whether the chick is an orphan. If the youngster is already captive, but still at the capture site,
urge the finder to locate the family with the purpose of reuniting, if possible. If the finder and the
youngster are away from the capture site, stress that the youngster must remain warm and dry.
People are often not aware of the need for supplemental heat, particularly with precocial young
that are downy, mobile, and appear self‐sufficient. Reinforce that the young are brooded by the
adults in nature and are not able to maintain body heat on their own for several weeks after hatch
or until contour feathers grow in.
A complete history is important. Ask specific questions such as where was the chick found?
What type of habitat? This will give information for species identification. Were adults in the area?
The chick may be a species that can be reunited with the adults. What were the circumstances of
the finding? There may be other injured youngsters at the site. How long has it been in captivity?
Who has handled the chick? If children are involved there may be unintentional internal injuries
to the patient. What is the behavior now? Is it peeping loudly, lying still, jumping, or gasping? Has
it been in contact with domestic fowl during captivity? If so, isolation may be necessary due to pos-
sible exposure to common diseases of domestic waterfowl.

Reunion with Parents
Reuniting families can be successful but must be done with care and follow‐up observation. Some
species are agreeable to reuniting and even adopting additional foster chicks; others will reject chicks,
even kill them, usually by drowning. The general rule is if the family or area from which a youngster
was taken is known, reunion can be attempted within the day. Some rehabilitators have had success
with species such as the Canada Goose and Trumpeter Swans accepting foster chicks if the adult has