05/27/2026
This also apply’s to lake weeds. Fowl bring in seeds from other lakes and ponds.
A duck can cross a pond and accidentally become a tiny fish delivery service.
The strange part is how brutal the route is.
In a 2020 study, researchers fed fertilized fish eggs to mallards and found that a small number survived the full digestive trip. Not many made it, which is fair, because the itinerary included acid, enzymes, muscle grinding, and an exit nobody would choose twice.
But a few carp eggs passed through intact. Some still hatched.
That matters because ducks do not respect pond boundaries. A mallard can feed in one wetland, fly off, and leave behind more than droppings in another. For isolated lakes, flooded fields, or newly formed ponds, that messy little transfer may help explain how fish appear where no fish seemed invited.
It is not graceful. It is not poetic. It is biology using the cheapest available airline.
Sometimes nature does not build a bridge. It sends a duck.
