Are you a person who jumps out of bed in the morning?
If so, I hope you feel some kinship towards cavity-nesting ducks: they start their whole lives with a leap out of the nest.
Got a duckling or baby bird story to share? Record it here!
This month, non-game wildlife biologist Pam Perry discusses how instincts drive some ducklings to climb not long after they leave the egg. In the wild, this serves an important purpose; they have to climb out of the nest, jump to the forest floor and find their way to water.
In captivity, however, ducklings can get "stuck" in climbing mode — they'll drive themselves to exhaustion trying to climb out of their enclosures. The only thing that resets them? A little drop or jolt. This signals their system that they've left the nest, and they can stop trying to climb out.
Pam Perry is full of fascinating facts — listen to the full conversation above!
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