Brood of ducklings plummet from tree in Manitoba
It was a short first flight for a brood of ducklings that plummeted from a tree, hitting the pavement with a resounding smack – but one wildlife expert says there was nothing 'fowl' about what happened.
Della Popko caught the strange phenomenon on video outside of her apartment in Portage la Prairie on Thursday.
She said she heard a mother duck quacking, and then all of a sudden ducklings started falling from the tree.
Though the audible thud of each duckling hitting the pavement is a bit shocking, each little feathered fowl is seen getting back up and waddling across the street.
One wildlife expert said this is actually quite common behaviour for wood ducks.
Barret Miller, naturalist and manager of group programs at FortWhyte Alive, said wood ducks do nest in hollow trees or box houses that people put outside.
“It looks like those little guys might be taking quite a beating, but you know what? They can actually fall 80 metres – not feet – metres, down to the ground,” he said. “They are very fluffy. They are very light, so they don’t actually really have a very fast or hard fall.
“A little bit of a bump when they land, they shake it off and they start following mom to the water.”
Watch the full video above.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.