Human Imprinting and Habituation
in Ducklings
Q: What is imprinting?
Imprinting is a form of learning where an animal develops its sense of species identification. This
feature is particularly common in precocial* birds such as ducks, geese, and turkeys. Once these
birds imprint onto their parent(s), they will identify with that species for life.
Ducklings, for instance, visually imprint on their parent within the first 24 hours of being born. This is
crucial for their survival because they will follow the adult they imprint on and that adult will provide
them with safety and protection until they are fully grown.
Imprinting also gives ducklings a way to understand their species behavior and vocalizations so they
can choose appropriate mates later in life.
Q: What is habituation?
Habituation is another form of learning where an animal, after a period of exposure to a stimulus,
shows a decreased response to that stimulus. As a duckling grows, for example, it is exposed to
different elements in the environment and learns what to fear and what not to fear.
Q: What happens if a duckling imprints or habituates on humans?
When ducklings enter the rehabilitation setting, imprinting and habituation are serious concerns. If
ducklings imprint on or habituate to humans, they are unsuitable for release back into the wild
because it is impossible to reverse this process.
Ducklings that are imprinted or habituated have no fear of humans. This lack of fear can lead to
aggression or the exhibition of territorial behaviors toward their favorite human. Additionally,
because they may not have acquired the proper social skills or vocalizations of their own species,
they may display odd behaviors and not be accepted by others in their species. All of these behaviors
can also make them easy targets for hunters.
Therefore, ducklings that are human-imprinted or habituated will not be able to be released back
into the wild and will be euthanized.
Q: How does WildCare help prevent imprinting and habituation?
When WildCare must care for orphaned or injured ducklings, we take special precautions to prevent
human-imprinting or habituating.
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*birds covered with down, have open eyes, and display independent activity at birth.
Our first priority is to put ducklings into same-species groups and treat them as a group, not as
individuals (unless they need special care). Ducklings are naturally social birds, so being in a group is
normal and prepares them for their re-entry to the wild. A clutch of ducklings can range in size from
1-13 birds. They depend on each other for safety, learning, and identity. In fact, it is very stressful for
ducklings to be isolated. They can become depressed or develop growth issues. Isolation means
higher stress and a higher chance of imprinting which will make it difficult to impossible to re-
introduce to other duckling groups. If ducklings cannot socialize properly, they will not be releasable.
We call our duckling groups “herds” because they may not all be from the same family. However,
they are always grouped together by species. Not only do different species have different nutritional
requirements, but we also want them to recognize their own species so they are able to choose a
correct mate later in life.
Our second priority is to keep human contact to a minimum. Staff and volunteers only handle
ducklings during the feeding and cleaning process (once a day) and when they progress to the next
level of care (several days). By using age estimations instead of weight to guide care, having staff
conduct visual health checks, and only banding ducklings that have health issues, ducklings have
less human contact. We also always make sure there is a towel partially covering the cage so the
ducklings can’t see us (and we never peek at them). In addition to less physical and visual contact,
we also emphasize minimal talking. Staff and volunteers should never talk to ducklings and should
always speak softly in wards and near outside enclosures. Less human contact (hands-off) means
they are more likely to be released.
This is the Hands-off Herd Approach.
Q: With less human contact, how do we monitor their growth stages?
Ducklings grow quickly and have different housing and feeding requirements, but we can still
monitor their stage as a group. Each group has their own cage card with their patient numbers listed
on the back. You will use this card (and its corresponding page in the menu book) to determine food
and enclosure requirements for the duckling species that come into WildCare. We will be looking at
these more in-depth in a later module.
Q: How can I find out more about the different species we see at WildCare?
For more species information visit these sites: Download this Duckling Identification Sheet
• Mallards
• Wood Ducks
• Gadwall
• Duck courtship displays
Created by: Amy Shipley, Instructional Designer
