3 days ago
Baby Ducklings on 'Jump Day' is the Cutest Leap of Faith We Have Ever Seen
In the animal kingdom, each species has a unique way of setting their young ones free and out on their own. Some parents gently guide their young for several weeks or months, teaching them what's safe, what's dangerous, and how to live in the vast world on their own. It's a gradual process that requires steps towards freedom.
This is not so for birds! They have a particularly tough way of introducing their babies into the world around them and it is rather dramatic and adorable at the same time. Birdwatchers have a very fitting name for the day that young birds leave the nest. They refer to it as 'Jump Day!'
Click here for the baby duckling "Jump Day" Video!
Whether the nest is 5 feet or 50 feet off the ground when it is time for them to leave, it's just time. Recently, one lucky nest-watcher, @jonnameidal, captured a family of Wood Ducks taking their first leap of faith and it is a true overload of cuteness! In the Instagram video, we are given a lakeside view of the tiny little ducks leaping and landing in the grass below.
It's a long way down from their birdhouse by the lake to the grassy knoll below. The little guys seem to bounce upon landing, then toddle over to their mama and wait for their duckling brothers and sisters to join them!The last little one to take the plunge really goes for it and lands at least three feet away from the others. They bounce just a bit, pop their little legs out, and then waddle over to the others.
The question we all want to know the answer to is, 'How do they not get hurt?' Well, apparently due to their large amount of fluffy feathers, pliable bone structure they are made for 'Jump Day' and it usually happens just one day after they hatch!
If you would like to know more about Wood Ducks look at the National Audubon Society's website. It is a thorough source of information for new birdwatchers!
Baby Ducklings on 'Jump Day' is the Cutest Leap of Faith We Have Ever Seen first appeared on PetHelpful on May 21, 2025
