BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — Freezing and snowy weather don’t just inconvenience people. It can also cause problems for wild animals.
Head dunks, for food, into a frigid Lake Erie are part of normal life for different species of diving ducks.
“A lot of people do not realize how many cool ducks come down from the north, and they migrate here,” said Kyle Koprowski, lead wildlife specialist at the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center in Bay Village.
Ducks, including mergansers, long-tailed ducks, and lesser scaup must paddle on water in order to fly.
“If they are on land, that's considered landlocked,” Koprowski said. “And then they won't be able to move, and they'll start walking on their wings."
He said that can cause serious damage to a duck's wings and feet.
Kroprowski and his colleagues are currently caring for a lesser scaup that was recently found on a local road. For now, the duck is hanging out in a special swim tank.
“We’re just trying to keep him hydrated,” Koprowski said. "When he came in, he was a little neurological — kind of had ataxia. He was falling over a little bit and was looking a little dizzy."
Koprowski said the duck doesn’t have any serious injuries and should be able to be released soon.
“As long as you're here to get hydrated and stable. We can turn around and release them in an area that has open water,” Koprowski said.
How do the ducks become landlocked?
Koprowski said it really just comes down to confusion.
"It looks really dark from the sky. So, they think that that's open water and they're going to fly down and realize that it's not. It's just a parking lot,” Koprowski said.
The ducks may also mistake a bridge or roadway for open water.
Koprowski said the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center sees a handful to about 20 cases each year.
"I think it was 2014 and 2015… a whole entire flock of hooded mergansers came down into a parking lot and it was a lot of them,” Koprowski said.
Another issue wildlife experts see is ducks getting stuck in ice.
Koprowsk said a lesser scaup recently brought in from Vermilion did not survive.
"It could have been stuck to the ice for a really long time,” he said. “It was dehydrated."
Preventing these issues is next to impossible. But, Koprowski said if you see a duck that’s struggling or seems out of place, to give them a call at 440-871-2900 x 204. They’re open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
He said a few signs to look for include squinted eyes, lethargy, ice buildup and puffiness.
Koprowski said individuals can take a towel or blanket, drape it over the duck and put it into a box. He said not to give the duck food or water.
Once in the hands of the team at the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, Koprowski said the ducks have a pretty good shot at recovery.
“One of the best parts of the jobs is being able to release the animals,” he said.
The Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is a nonprofit that relies on grants and donations.
