One of the biggest causes of duckling mortality in this area is... other Mallard families. On small streams/ponds, there's limited food, and little chance of avoiding each other, and so females and even ducklings try to kill other broods to eliminate the competition. They're very vicious in attack.
Richard K Broughton
Ducklings to the left of me, ducklings to right, here I am stuck in the middle and trying to stop them wanting to kill each other.
