Harlequin Ducklings
Detailed Description
Three Harlequin Ducklings sit side by side pecking around. This animated image comes from a video that features them only 20 hours old at the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge.
Sources/Usage
Public Domain.
First Days - Harlequin Ducks
This ridiculously cute video of baby Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) shows their first day outside the egg (about 20 hours old). Scientists at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center are training ducks to respond to sounds — just like a hearing test given to kids during elementary school — to learn more about their ability to hear underwater. This will inform the design of effective deterrents that warn ducks away from fisherman's nets and offshore construction.