Three Hiram College students help with white winged wood duck conservation at field station

Three summer interns at the James H. Barrow Biological Field Station at Hiram College recently helped eight endangered white winged wood ducks hatch. The interns, Kaitlynn Jones ‘25, Clair Partin ‘25, and Allison Hook ‘24, spent 12 hours serving as duck midwives, which included assisting with and observing the hatching. Over the last month, the staff at the Field Station worked together to ensure the success of these ducks hatching by checking on the eggs, observing the development of the embryos, and keeping track of the expected hatch date of the eggs.

In an article posted on Hiram College’s website, the curator of animal programs at the Field Station, Rebecca Moore, commented on the role of the interns, saying, “Allison, Claire, and Kaitlynn were instrumental in the survival of these babies during hatching. Throughout the night, as the babies hatched, these three students updated me hourly. Their excitement as healthy babies emerged from their eggs was so heartwarming. They were part of a unique process that most college students will never experience—helping critically endangered white-winged wood ducks hatch and survive.”

Hiram College and the Akron Zoo have had a partnership since 2005 which provides breeding, care, and housing for the Akron Zoo’s endangered white winged wood ducks at the James H. Barrow Biological Field Station. The facility being used to house these eggs and ducks is known to students and staff as the “Duckhouse.” The Duckhouse looks like a greenhouse with plastic sides that can open and close depending on the weather. The building was built so that the ducks living in it have access to the outdoors during the spring and summer seasons while also having running water and heating inside for the winter.

While eight white winged wood ducks hatched, only six of the ducks survived. Those at the Duckhouse still considered this an important feat as the wood ducks are native to India and Southeast Asia, and tend to live in swampy areas and tropical forests. The ducks are one of the most critically engaged species in the world because of eggs being collected for the pet and food trades, water pollution, and habitat loss. Only around 500 to 800 white winged wood ducks are estimated to be living in the wild. Breeding these ducks in captivity is a difficult task due to the lack of diversity in capacity, which can prevent eggs from successfully maturing, or even being fertile in the first place. 

Moore talked more about the effort to breed these ducks in captivity, saying, “Being part of an international conservation effort to breed these ducks in captivity is pretty amazing. The fact that we have six healthy babies is a significant contribution to the international and North American captive population. We are helping a critically endangered species through our breeding program and, someday, the captive population may be able to be released back into the wild.”

Biology major Allison Hock talked about the experience of helping with the conservation effort of these white winged wood ducks, as she personally helped one of the hatchlings herself: “To be able to experience and watch the babies hatch was almost euphoric. There were so many different emotions running through my body. Obviously, I was excited, but the worry began as soon as they came out of the egg. There are so many things that could go wrong with these babies, and I felt responsible to make sure that they stayed as healthy as possible.”

As the duck eggs hatched, Hock and her two fellow interns checked up on the eggs once an hour. As the eggs became close to hatching, they started to pip, which is when a duckling uses the tip of their beaks (or egg tooth) to start breaking the shell from the inside of the egg. Once the shell is broken open, the ducks keep pecking until they are able to fully wiggle out of the egg entirely. The process has been known to last up to 24 hours or longer. 

Hock went on to talk about helping a particular duckling hatch, saying, “We noticed that one egg had a double membrane and was starting to dry onto the baby, trapping him in the egg. The nerves were high, and we all looked at each other and decided to help him out of the egg by slowly pulling at the membranes and picking off some of the eggshells. Luckily, when we checked on him again, he was out of the egg!”

After hatching, the newborn ducklings were pulled from the nest box and placed onto the brooder table, a place in the Duckhouse where they would be safe and have access to shallow water and heat.

“It is honestly so amazing to be a part of this.When I first started working [at the Field Station], I could have never imagined being a part of something this significant and amazing,” said Hock.

The ducklings will be cared for at the Field Station until the Akron Zoo determines they are ready to leave. These types of ducks are often transferred to other zoos, or the Akron Zoo may take some for its own waterfowl display. It is also possible that the Field Station will be allowed to keep the ducks for future breeding opportunities as it works on these conservation efforts.

More information about Hiram College can be found on the school’s website.