Christmas Angels Rescue Easter Ducks Stranded on Ice in South Suburbs

OAK LAWN, IL -- It was Easter in December for four young white ducks stuck on the ice in an Oak Lawn pond. Residents and volunteers from the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors raced against the encroaching polar vortex to rescue the trapped water fowl Wednesday afternoon.

Neighborhood residents first began noticing the four white Pekin ducks (think Aflac or Donald Duck) a few days ago, paddling in the retention pond at Memorial “Rocket Slide” Park at 102nd and Major Avenue. Pekin ducks are domesticated and raised to produce eggs or meat.

Karen Krzak, who in the past has taken on the donkey basketball industry and puppy mills, showed up twice a day to feed the four in the morning and late afternoon. During the day, the ducks swam in the pond with a few dozen mallards. When darkness fell, the mallards flew away to warm shelters, while the four Pekin ducks paddled in circles near the pond’s aerator -- exposed to the elements and coyotes.

“I feel I know them as pets,” Krzak said.

Attempts to lure the ducks to shore out of the frigid pond were unsuccessful. Neighbors tried putting a temporary shelter for the four, but were told they needed permission from the Oak Lawn Park District.

Volunteers from the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors came out on Wednesday after residents called the bird rescue hotline. Volunteer Jim Tibensky, who assists in bird water rescues, hit the pond in a kayak.

The bird rescuers and neighbors stood along the banks ready to catch the four foundlings in nets. Tibensky grabbed the first duck in a net. Paddling up to the edge of snow packed ice, he slid the duck in the net across the ice to fellow bird collision volunteer Joey Petersen.

Within 30 minutes, all four ducks had been captured and were sitting in a carrier together in the back of a warm SUV. Tibensky said the white Pekins were probably Easter ducklings set free in the pond.

“Almost always this time of year we see a lot of Easter ducks,” Tibensky added.

Tibensky said he’s spent up to 45 minutes in duck rescues. He said capturing the four white domestic ducks in Oak Lawn was pretty easy.

“I just kind of wear them out and grab them by the neck,” he said. “They’re fat and they’re not wild ducks so their wings aren’t strong and don’t have much endurance. They don’t have the muscles and smarts that a wild duck has.”

Although it was unlikely the four Pekin ducks would have frozen to death, their chances for getting picked off by coyotes or dogs were pretty high.

“They’re prey, they can’t fly," Petersen said.

And as long as the bird collision monitors were in the neighborhood, they went to check out the pair of Pekin Easter ducks that have lived at Oak Lawn Lake for the past six years. It was decided to leave the pair of Oak Lawn Lake Pekins alone; they’re tough South Side ducks. The well-fed mallards, however, eagerly flew and/or ran over to the humans looking for a handout.

A lovely female mallard flew over and landed on top of the snow. She had a broken bill. She was soon captured and loaded into the back of the SUV. The four Pekins and their mallard friend were on their way to get checked out by the vets and rehabbed, if necessary, at the Fox Valley Wildlife Center.

Oak Lawn resident Rita Olsen said she’s lost sleep since learning of the stranded white ducks' plight.

“Now I know why people rescue animals, It’s an exhilarating feeling,” Olsen said. “My house is a wreck because I spent two days on this, but I feel wonderful knowing they ducks are safe. It’s heartwarming this time of year to help someone.”

The moral of this story: Unless you’re prepared to spend the next 10 or 20 years cleaning up feathers and poop from your back yard, don’t give ducklings as gifts on Easter.

Find an injured or distressed bird? Call the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors hotline at 773-988-1867.