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She’s back!
Just before Mother’s Day, Central’s famous seasonal visitor, Stanley the duck, returned to campus and set up a new nest in preparation for her next brood. Tune in to the Central Duck-cam at ccsu.blue/duckcam to watch her progress.
For the fifth spring running, this female mallard has set up housekeeping on the Central Connecticut State University campus in a location that provides excellent shelter from predators and limited human interaction.
Stanley is one of several mallards that were caught and tagged by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) at Stanley Quarter Park in New Britain. DEEP is monitoring ducks as part of an initiative to assess mallards’ nesting success, including brood movement and habitat selection. Stanley was tagged in September 2022, and DEEP named her after the park.
The typical incubation period for ducks is 26 days. Stanley was first spotted on campus this year on April 27. Before the big day, viewers might see Stanley turn her eggs and tuck them back into her nest. Stanley occasionally leaves the nest to feed, so viewers should check back a little later if she's not on camera.
The nest’s location doesn’t offer a direct exit route for pre-fledge ducklings, so when the time comes, Central staff members will help Stanley move her ducklings back to Stanley Quarter Park.
In the meantime, Central Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator Kelly Selby has ensured the Duck-cam’s placement will not disturb Stanley or alert predators to her location.